North Campus Undergoing Renovation Projects

In an effort to renovate outdated infrastructure, the North Campus is undergoing various construction projects.

Among the work being done: a complete renovation of the cafeteria, a walkway that will connect the third floor of the 7000 and 8000 buildings and a new roof in the 4000 building.

Here is what we know:

Cafeteria Renovations  

The cafeteria at the North Campus has been undergoing extensive remodeling since the summer of 2018. Renovations were initially expected to be completed in the fall but, as the end of the 2019 spring semester approaches, the cafeteria remains incomplete.

According to Fermin Vazquez, senior director for campus administration at North Campus, when contractors began work on the cafeteria, they found many hidden electrical, plumbing and mechanical issues they had not anticipated.

“Sometimes in construction on older buildings, you open the floor or the wall and you find out there’s a lot more,” Vazquez said.

As a result, the initial renovations had to be halted and the new problems were analyzed and dealt with.

The renovations in the cafeteria will include infrastructural upgrades in the kitchen area with new plumbing, lighting and wall finishes. It will also include new food stations that will feature pizza, burgers, sandwiches and salads, as well as a modern cafe and a cantina grill. The cafeteria will also have a new dining room which will include new televisions, a new sound system and an outdoor dining area.

Vazquez anticipates the project will be completed by June of 2019.

Walkway Between 7000 and 8000 Buildings  

This project will create a walkway between the third floor of the 7000 and 8000 buildings. It would connect the police academy in the 8000 building to the math and English departments.         

“One of the greatest benefits that this [walkway] brings is duplicity of vertical transportation in both buildings,” Vazquez said. “If you have classes in building 7 or 8 and they’re both on the third floor you don’t have to come down and come back up—you just walk across on the walkway.”

Construction on the project began in the fall semester of 2018. It’s scheduled to be completed before the end of fall 2019.

Roofing Project In 4000 Building

Vazquez said that last semester, the roof in the 4000 building had reached such a deteriorated state that it was categorized as “end of life.”  

Then this past December, as renovations were ongoing in the cafeteria, a leak in the roof was detected and the project was raised to the highest priority.

“Not only did we get the scope of work done in December, we put [it] out to bid,” Vazquez said. “We have a low bidder. We have a contractor already assigned and we are about to start construction in a few weeks.”

Construction to replace the roof is scheduled to start in April.