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UMass Amherst

Facilities & Campus Planning

Building a Better UMass Amherst

Artist's rendering of the ISB interior.

Construction News for the Week of november 15, 2009 Special Announcements: Red Lot 41, north of the Physical Plant Building, continues to be closed to all but delivery vehicles for renovation. Lot 41 permit holders and state/leased vehicles may park in Red Lot 45, Green Lot 25, and Yellow Lot 12, excluding parking meters and reserved spaces. BIG NOISE continues at Herter Hall each night, 11PM-7AM, for another week as concrete saw cutting and jack-hammering is being done to remove PCP-containing sealants in the building. The Campus Center Service Road will be reduced to one lane this week, Wednesday - Friday (11/18-20), for oil tank cleaning at the Old Power Plant. Major projects are listed in alphabetical order. Scroll down to view them all, or you can jump to a specific project: Lederle GRC Facade Repair & Soil Reclamation Northeast Utilities Recreation Center Southwest Concourse Reconstruction UMass Police Station University Apartments Demolition Physical Plant's Current List of Service Interruptions Physical Plant's Current Specific Maintenance and Repair Schedule Physical Plant's Active Dig Safe Notices
Lederle GRC Facade Repair and Soil Reclamation, Governors Drive & Eastman Lane	Facade repair is complete. The project has now entered a new phase wherein the surrounding soil is being tested for contaminants. Work, as needed, to clean, reclaim or replace the soil is currently underway. [Top of the page]

Northeast Utilities, Governors Drive and North Pleasant Street Utility construction route First phase fence lines Second phase detours	A major utility project to replace and upgrade failing steam and electrical infrastructure continues this week in the Governors Drive/North Pleasant Street area of campus. The tunnel, steam line and electrical conduit construction, known as the Northeast Utility Project, will run from the Knowles/Goessmann area north to Governors Drive, then east to North Pleasant Street and through the intersection to a point just west of Hamlin (see map, top left). Temporary intersection route A temporary intersection route (see map, right) is now completed and open to vehicle traffic in the Governors Dr./North Pleasant St./Eastman Lane area. The new intersection routing will remain in place for approximately eighteen months as work is completed behind established fence lines on the critical Northeast Utility Project. Other elements of the project include major construction (and diversion of traffic) along Governors Drive, and in the Lederle/Conte/Marcus/Goessmann courtyard. The entire project is expected to take two years to complete. [Top of the page]

Recreation Center, Commonwealth Avenue	The Recreation Center is now OPEN! Work on the "punch list" of final/follow-up items in the building's interior will continue during off hours, and completion of the facade is scheduled for the end of the month. A slide show of the interior is available here. [Learn more about this project] [Top of the page]

Southwest Concourse Reconstruction Phase 1	The first phase of the Southwest Residential Area concourse renovation is complete with a (temporary) surface in place. Initial work involved concrete demolition as well as steam, water and electrical installation. The majority of landscaping work is scheduled to take place during the summer of 2010 Questions about the project should be directed to Bruce Thomas, F&CP project manager, at 577-1717; bthomas@admin.umass.edu. [Top of the page]

UMass Police Station Tillson Farm, E. Pleasant St. Click for larger images	The general contractor has begun mobilizing on site with the installation of site fencing, erosion control measures, tree removal, site clearing, office trailers, and possible garage demolition. It is requested that anyone heading to Tillson House use the University Parking Lot #24 just across the road for parking purposes An official groundbreaking ceremony for the new building took place on Friday. Project Description A $12.5M, 27,130 square foot complex to serve as the new home of the 75-member UMass Police Department. The facility will include an inviting, approachable structure for visitors and everyday users while maintaining the levels of security required for a police facility. The building in designed to operate 24 hours per day, seven days a week, providing all patrol, investigation, specialized and emergency response, as well as crime prevention and educational services at the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus. Emergency Operations Center The University of Massachusetts Facilities and Campus Planning Department has been working with the University Emergency Management and Business Continuity Department to locate and construct a new Emergency Operations Center (EOC) within the new police station structure. The EOC function is to provide a central point of communication and a command center during a crisis or natural disaster affecting the campus. Sustainable Design Consistent with the University of Massachusetts Amherst Environmental Performance and Green Initiatives, an important goal for this project is to design and construct the new police facility to meet LEED certification standards --the first new construction on campus to do so. The project is currently targeting LEED gold. Final commissioning is to take place in December, 2010. [Top of the page]

University Apartments Demolition	HAZMAT abatement is underway. Building demolition is now scheduled to begin in December and continue through mid-January. The project will demolish the 37,000 square foot University Apartments and associated garages of an additional 4,400 square feet. The University Apartments were constructed in 1949 and the structures had deteriorated beyond repair. Approximately 1,000 feet of steam line will be removed and the existing parking lot will be reclaimed and expanded. The project will create a new permitted parking lot for staff and faculty with a capacity of approximately 90 spaces. The new lot will primarily serve as replacement spaces that are required due to planned construction on the east side of campus. The steam line removal will require that sections of the sidewalk along North Pleasant Street from Butterfield Terrace to Thatcher Road be temporarily relocated. Energy Reduction and Sustainability Strategies The University will not have to provide heat, hot water, or electricity to a building that has far exceeded its useful life. The method of demolition will include separation of materials to allow for recycling of brick, cement, window and metals where possible. Special Advisory to Lot 52 Permit Holders Lot 52 will be expanded, but parking will be temporarily affected during renovations. Permit holders will still be able to access other sections of Red Lot 52. If parking is not available, you may also park in Green Lot 34, excluding parking meters and reserved spaces. If you would like a temporary permit for Red Lot 62, please contact Parking Services at (413) 545-0065. [Top of the page]

Questions and comments should be directed to Jim Hunt, Communications Manager; jhunt@facil.umass.edu; (413) 577-4767.