By Solé Scott
Editor-in-Chief
The construction site in front of Connecticut Hall on Sept. 3.
The construction is still underway on campus yet seems to grow into a larger project than expected as students and faculty see fences blocking the dirt and equipment outside of Farnham Hall and Connecticut Hall.
Eric Lessne, the associate VP for capital budgeting and facilities operations has worked at the university since 1998 originally on the board of regents, but for the past five years in his current role.
“A couple of years ago we had found some leaks in our high temperature water lines that run under our campus that run the heat for our entire campus,” Lessne said.
Students are complaining in person and on social media about construction and when will it be completed as this project has been in progress since the summer of 2024. Most students are confused about what the purpose is as well since the university did not specify the reason.
The university is replacing irreparable pipes that have not been replaced in 25 years or so.
The pipes needed to be fixed immediately, or else the university ran the risk of structural damage, flooding and other worse conditions. The first to be dug up was Dorm Drive, near West Campus Residence Complex and Hickerson Hall.
“The project was supposed to be what you see now and all that at one time and I decided that the campus can’t take that,” Lessne said. “I can’t do that to the students.”
The construction area outside of Farnham Hall was first priority because there was steam coming out of the manhole.
“Well, that was a sure-fire sign that we had a broken pipe,” Lessne said.
Nursing major Paul-Andra Betancourt, a freshman, shared her feelings with all the construction going on every day.
“It’s annoying,” Betancourt said. “Like, they had all summer to fix it, so I don’t know what they are doing.”
The construction is currently in its final phase and is expected to be completed in October or November of this year. However, the landscaping to spruce up our campus again will be completed in the spring.
The estimated cost for the construction is $7.5 million.
This construction is not the biggest the university has seen as 2004 was the year West Campus and West campus garage were built simultaneously, along with renovations to Buley library and the Adanti Student Center.
There will be more construction projects in the near future including the old school of business and the renovation of Chase Hall.
“The space committee right now is being reconfigured by Dr. Wanjagi, and once that is in place, then these like this will start to get worked out,” Lessne said.
Once the Chief of Bonds sell happens then Chase will be the first residence hall to be renovated completely.
“That job is already designed, it was designed a year and a half ago, almost two years ago, and it’s ready to go out to bid,” Lessne said. “That should be our next major construction project.”
