by Jeremy Hunt
Daily Lobo
Last year, the UNM Board of Regents approved a $125 million bond issue for construction across the main and branch campuses.
Joe Brawley, interim director of the Office of Capital Projects, said the buildings will have a positive impact on the University.
"Generally speaking, we have a lot of projects going on that, when they are completed, will be a benefit to all students and faculty," he said.
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The projects on main campus include the construction of George Pearl Hall and Centennial Engineering Center, the renovation of the communication and journalism building and other smaller projects, Brawley said.
The University issued a request for proposals for the Centennial Engineering Center and has accepted a proposal, but the deal has not been finalized, Brawley said.
Brawley said Wagner Hall had to be demolished to make room for the center. The faculty and staff of Wagner Hall have been moved to Tapy Hall and will remain there until construction is completed, he said.
Construction of the center is expected to begin toward the end of September, said Andrew Cullen, budget administrator. A groundbreaking ceremony for the center will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
The budget for the center is $48 million, according to Sabra Basler, project facilitator of University Communication and Marketing. The expected completion date is Sept. 21, 2007, according to the UNM Web site.
Jaynes Corporation is constructing George Pearl Hall, which will be home to the School of Architecture and Planning and the Fine Arts and Design Library.
Senior project manager Brian O'Connell said everything is going according to plan.
"Things are going very well on that project. It's about 36 percent complete. We are starting the second of three phases," he said.
The second phase involves raising the steel frames for the building, he said.
Traffic patterns were studied to determine peak times, so the fence for the construction site could be moved back and forth to accommodate the contractor's needs and the flow of traffic between UNM Bookstore and the site, Brawley said.
The budget for George Pearl Hall is $28.7 million, Basler said. The construction is expected to be complete by August 2007, Cullen said.
The renovation of the communication and journalism building is also on budget and on schedule, said Lynn Meiers, superintendent of the job. The building has been gutted, and the utility infrastructure - including plumbing, water, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and a new electrical system - is being updated, he said.
Utility and interior work will meet the March 21, 2007, deadline, Meiers said.
Cullen said the renovation has been on the list of major capital priorities for about six years. The bond issue made funding available, and the communication and journalism building was at the top of the list, he said.
The renovation budget is $5.8 million for the building, Basler said.
The bond was funded by increasing student fees $56 per year for a four-year period, according to the UNM Web site.
