Construction in South Campus underway

By Melody Wang

Daily Bruin Contributor

Sounds of chain saws and bulldozers echo through campus as
summer school students attempt to pursue their studies.

Construction of a new building near Knudsen Hall and replacement
of the concrete walkway near Bunche Hall and the Public Policy
Building began on June 26.

“The obvious reason we’re doing this work during the
summer is because August and September have the lowest levels of
activity on campus,” said John Sandbrook, assistant provost
of the College of Letters and Science.

Jack Powazek, assistant vice chancellor of Facilities Management
who oversees the project near Public Policy, said summer is the
best time for construction because projects aren’t delayed by
bad weather.

Powazek said the walkway near Public Policy must be replaced
because of potentially hazardous cracks in the concrete. Worn out
exterior lighting and underground irrigation systems will also be
replaced.

Powazek said once the concrete is repaired, new shrubs and trees
will be planted in the area.

Though the project may benefit the campus, some students
complain about the small pathways set aside to allow entry into
Public Policy.

“Because of the construction, the whole area is blocked
off so when everybody gets out of class, the pathway gets really
crowded,” said Francisco Crespo, an ethnomusicology graduate
student.

Others complain about noise pollution.

“My only complaint is that I have a class in Public
Policy, and it’s a French class so you kind of need to be
able to hear and sometimes it’s a little difficult to hear
with them banging out here,” said Vincent Bidez, a
fourth-year sociology student. “But I’m not too bitter
about it.”

Powazek said the noisiest part of the construction, which
involves tearing up the old concrete, is almost over.

Most of the project should be completed by October and will cost
about $400,000 to $500,000.

At the same time, work on constructing a new Physics and
Astronomy building has begun, but it won’t be completed until
spring 2003 and will cost $39,345,000.

Ron Enholm, principal project manager for Campus Capital
Programs, which oversees the university’s construction
projects, said the actual construction of the building is scheduled
for Spring 2001, but workers will demolish the current Physics
Research Lab and clear the area around it by October of this year.
They will also excavate a space for a two-level basement.

The new brick building will be connected to Knudsen Hall at
every level except the ground floor, Enholm said.

Marc Fisher, director of design services for Campus Capital
Programs said the building will improve the campus’s
aesthetics.

“The building is designed to be compatible in scale and
character with Powell Library and Moore Hall,” Fisher
said.

To complete the project, Enholm said a temporary road for
construction trucks will be built between Franz and Knudsen halls
since campus roads are either too narrow or can only support 10,000
pounds. The road will be removed at the end of 2001.

Like the Public Policy project, some are upset with the process
of constructing the Physics and Astronomy building.

Christine Green, an administrative specialist in the Physics and
Astronomy Department who has been at UCLA for 22 years, said she is
upset construction workers are cutting down about 60 trees to clear
the land.

“It was really awful when I was counting tree trunks and
there was a little squirrel and he was looking around going,
“˜Where’s my home?'” Green said. “It
brought tears to my eyes.”

She said she remembers workers boxing and transporting trees to
other locations rather than cutting them down in previous
construction projects.

“(The trees) could have gone to the botanical gardens. At
least then they would have been alive,” Green said.

But Fisher said only certain types of trees are boxed because
this process is expensive.

“We have found that the funds consumed by boxing trees can
be spent to buy less expensive nursery grown trees,” Fisher
said. “The campus can therefore afford to purchase more trees
for the same funds.”

Enholm said once construction is complete, new trees will be
planted to replace those cut down.

“What people unfortunately can’t appreciate is that
what is restored will be of very high quality and should offset the
impact of what is happening now,” Enholm said.