Groundbreaking
for UNM-Gallup's proposed Student Services and Technology Center is due
to occur at the end of October, according to Ron Petranovitch, manager
of the Physical Plant. Bidding for the $13.4
million project is due to occur about mid-October. The 36,000-square-foot
building will house all of Students Services, including the Registrar's
office, Financial Aid, Counseling and Advisement, as well as the cashiers,
on the upper level. The Arts and Letters and Social Sciences departments
will be located in the lower
level.
The building will also have several so-called smart classrooms, which
will feature the latest in technological advances. It will be the
first LEED- (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified
building in Gallup and McKinley County.
"We're comfortable with the silver status, as far as LEED criteria,
but we’re hoping for gold,” said Petranovich. Projects earn points
toward certification based on various “green” building criteria,
including sustainable site, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere,
materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation
and design process.
Once the groundbreaking starts, parking will be temporarily affected,
as some of the current space will be used as a staging area. No new
parking is planned for the building, as it is designed just to
accommodate current programs rather than any expansion.
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Construction work at Calvin Hall continues through October, according
to Petranovich.. The renovations are about two weeks behind schedule,
but according to Murphy Builders, the company in charge of the
renovations, they will be able to make up time and finish the $1.3
million project on schedule.
The repairs include updating the mechanical/HVAC system, installing
new fire sprinklers, finishing floors and painting the walls of the
30-year-old building.
***
Another project recently completed was the replacement of the exercise
stations along the track at a cost of $70,000. The durable steel
stations replace the wooden ones that had deteriorated.
***
The rehabilitation of Vo-Tech Drive, located on the north side of the
campus, and which leads to the Career Technology classrooms and on to
the Nursing and Health Careers buildings, is due to start in March.
The reconstruction, which will include improved gutters to handle
run-off from the new building, will also include curbs and street
lights. It will be bid out over the winter. Funds are from the local
$8 million G.O. Bond passed in February.