Major construction to begin for planned Sproul residence buildings on the Hill

Construction workers and equipment continue to descend on the residential Hill as some projects are completed and others commence.

On Monday, workers opened the De Neve Garden Walk, which has been under construction since September of 2009. Project managers are now slated to begin construction on three additional Sproul buildings.

Crews have been preparing and connecting underground utilities since July for the Sproul buildings to connect to gas, water and power lines once the buildings are constructed, said Frank Montana, construction mitigator for the Office of Residential Life. Once Sproul construction is fully underway, it will be the most impacted area. The construction company took possession of the site Monday and will close off the Sproul turnaround to pedestrian traffic by fencing the site, which will take about four days, Montana said.

At this point, pedestrians will be unable to pass straight through from Sproul Hall to De Neve Drive. They will have the option to take the Covel Steps to Charles E. Young Drive or use the Rieber walkway to reach De Neve Drive, Montana said.

Rieber walkway will open by the middle of May, said Barbara Wilson, associate director of room operations at Housing and Hospitality Services.

The Sproul turnaround will remain closed for the remainder of the project until the opening of Sproul Cove and Sproul Landing residence halls. Wilson said she expects the buildings to be open for occupancy during fall or winter of 2013.

Residents of Sproul Hall and Sunset Village will be most affected by the change in route, Montana said.

After fencing, various stages of demolition and excavation will begin. During demolition, workers will first cut down or relocate trees on the Sproul site, Wilson said.

Starting in May, crews will demolish the loading dock behind Sproul Hall. In June, the Office of Residential Life building will be demolished, Wilson said.

Noise levels will vary throughout construction. No external windows of students’ rooms face the loading dock or the ORL building, Montana said. Furthermore, Sproul Hall windows are insulated and double-paned, which makes them highly noise-efficient, Wilson said.

The ORL demolition should not be too disruptive because the building will be taken apart almost piece by piece rather than instantly knocked down, Montana said. However, noise from the loading dock demolition will be moderate to intense because of concrete removal. If not done by the end of May, it will be held off until students leave for vacation so they are not disturbed during 10th and finals weeks, Montana said.

Few possible delays can occur, Montana said. The rainy season has passed, but if the contractor does not plan well enough, there could be a material shortage, which occurred while constructing Weyburn Terrace, he said.

In the fall, students will notice less fencing, but the fence in the middle of De Neve Drive leading up Charles E. Young Drive will be up and the fence by Saxon Suites will remain for two years, Wilson said.

The dormitories and fraternities nearest to active construction sites bear the brunt of current construction effects.

“Every morning you can hear the beeping of the trucks, and it’s nonstop. Everybody has got to get earplugs, and it is definitely not the most comfortable sleep,” said Alec Hunsberger, a third-year history student and vice president of Sigma Chi.

However, the construction contract allows only low-noise-producing work during the 10th week of the quarter and no noise to a degree that disturbs residents during finals week, Wilson said.

Residents of De Neve Cedar, Dogwood, Evergreen and Fir, as well as Sproul Hall and Saxon Suites will be invited to a carnival on May 14 as a thank you to students for putting up with construction, Montana said. The carnival will feature a series of outdoor games and food trucks.