Written by: Celeste Lee
The construction of McKee Library’s entrance is behind schedule due to the university prioritizing other renovation projects on campus, according to Marty Hamilton, associate vice president for Financial Administration. However, Hamilton believes the entrance will be completed by Christmas break.
“We would have liked to have [it] done this summer so that we [could] start a new school year with the new entrance,” Hamilton said.
The total construction project at the library encompassed three subprojects. The entrance subproject has taken the longest, but Hamilton said he has a subcontractor working on it right now.
The new entrance expands the lobby and will include a second floor for extra study space.
“It’s going to be a nice addition to the campus because we have a bigger front lobby and even a second floor with lots of windows,” Hamilton said. ” … I think students are going to enjoy it and more square footage for the library.”
The second subproject involved the Student Success and Retention Services offices. These offices used to be in Lynn Wood Hall but were relocated to the
second floor of the library. The university removed the library’s media section to make space for these offices.
The third subproject involved the Tutoring Center. Before construction began, the library’s attic was empty. Workers revamped this area to include new bathrooms and more tutoring space.
“Retention Services and the Tutoring Center is complete and in full operation,” said Hamilton.
Although other campus construction projects, such as building classrooms and labs for the university’s new engineering program in Lynn Wood Hall, have played a role in delaying the entrance’s completion, Hamilton listed additional setbacks. The university has struggled with the limited amount of space workers can operate in. The entrance area is too small to fit many contractors. To compensate, the university has had to bring in different contractors one at a time, significantly extending the subproject’s timeline.
“It’s been kind of a frustrating project for us to manage well,” Hamilton said.
Other small setbacks include weather and subcontractor issues. Hamilton said the total project has not stayed within the university’s budget.
“The third floor that we built ended up being right around $650,000,” Hamilton said.
This was about $200,000 over the original budget due to higher costs of materials than expected, according to Hamil-
ton. The third floor renovation covered 6,500 square feet.
Hamilton is budgeting $750,000 for the front entrance subproject. Contractor and materials fees have increased in price since the project began.
“It’s been a more expensive entrance [than expected], … but we have generous donors,” Hamilton said. “So far, [the entire project] has been funded by donors.”
Hamilton said he is already making plans for the library that extend past the ongoing construction project. He is considering renovating the temporary side entrance and making it more permanent and attractive.