The construction of the new Baker University Center will not be affected by Ohio University President Roderick McDavis' recent announcements about overall budget cutbacks and tuition increases for the next year.
The payback for the student center is locked in at a fixed rate
which means the only thing that could impact the cost would be a huge drop in enrollment said Larry Corrigan, interim vice president for finance and administration.
The locked price is the result of a contract negotiated between the university and contractors, which included the university paying upfront for steel. The contractors also agreed to lock the price at $60 million.
The only open-ended pieces are the internal equipment such as furnishing and technology
said John Kotowski, assistant vice president for facilities, planning and construction.
Construction is on schedule and the building will be ready for use in October 2006, after a transition period from October 2006 to January 2007. A $60 quarterly fee will be added to students' tuition in January 2007. This fee will pay for $40 million of the budget; the other $20 million will be supplied by state capital funds.
Kotowski said the center's construction started in March and has continued with very minimal setbacks. The project is ahead of schedule on many parts of its development.
We have two years to build a five-story building
he said. There's no reason why we shouldn't have it built on time.
Kotowski said the rock removal needed to place a bearing wall at the Court Street, Mulberry Street and Park Place intersection was the only noticeable project behind schedule because the cost of removing the rock foundation was more expensive than price analysis predicted.
It's not unusual to make changes during the middle of a construction project
Kotowski said. The contract was renegotiated and everything is fine.
Rod Nelson, project superintendent for Smoot Construction in Columbus, said they have finished the lower-and ground-level parking garages and plan to start putting in support beams for the second floor this week.
The company has between 30 and 60 people working on the site at one time, and on days when concrete is being poured, Nelson said there might be as many as 70 to 75 people working.
We're not having very many problems at all
Nelson said. I really enjoy working for the university; it's a good bunch of people to work with.
The university has hired multiple contractors to work on the center. Alongside Smoot Construction are KAL Electric, Inc., CT Design for kitchen equipment, JA Guy, Inc. for mechanics and TP Mechanical Contractors for plumbing. Kotowski said each contractor was chosen based on the lowest prices offered during the initial contract bidding sessions.
The new student center will encompass 183,000 square feet of the campus, ascend five feet above the ground and cater to about 20,000 to 25,000 people daily.
Entrances on the first and fourth floors will lead into an atrium several stories high, a marketplace, a café, new dining facilities, a 250-seat auditorium, an art gallery and a ballroom twice the size of the one in the current Baker Center.
Kotowski said plans for the old student center are still in the works, but former OU President Robert Glidden had made commitments for the building to become a part of the College of Communication. This was proposed so the visual communications department and other programs could be brought together.
We are currently looking at the building's feasibility
Kotowski said. McDavis is definitely not in any position to make that decision at this time.
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