MSU President's column for Traill County Tribune

October 10, 2015 

Great progress made in HPER facility replacement project

 

HPER_facility_-_locker_room-web.jpgGreat progress continues to be made on our state-funded HPER project. The project involves replacement of the 1929 Old Gymnasium and expansion of classroom and lab/practice space for Sports Management, Fitness and Wellness, Health Education, and Physical Education majors.

PCL Construction Services, Inc., project construction manager, has been on campus since April 27, when the project began. To date, the 1929 gymnasium has been demolished, and all excavation and backfilling and underground waterproofing is complete. In addition, all underground utility work, roofing, building concrete, and structural steel work has been finished. Estimated completion date for the project is March 23, 2016.

Concrete sidewalks will be installed this week and next, and window installation will begin Oct. 19. The chainlink fencing around the three additions will likely be removed by Nov. 1, just in time for the snow removal season.

We are excited to have the opportunity to show the work that has been completed to date during Homecoming 2015 festivities on Oct. 17. If you’re interested in touring the facility, please meet outside the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse at 1 p.m. that day. You’ll have a chance to take a look at not only the work that’s been done on the HPER facility replacement project, but also the new football locker room facility.

HPER_facility_-_east-web.jpgCurrently there are anywhere from 20 to 25 tradespeople on the project site each day. Subcontracting firms working on site now include Precision (electrical and plumbing) Lunseth Mechanical (steam work), Customaire (HVAC), Domier Construction (concrete masonry unit and brick), Sands Drywall, and Traill Painting.

PCL has three Mayville State students on the payroll as general laborers for the project. These students are working as many hours as their studies will allow and are keeping the jobsite clean and safe for all the tradespeople and any visitors who visit the campus near the construction zone.

Careful use of the dollars allotted to project has allowed us to find room within the budget to replace all the current mismatching flooring in the common hallways of the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse, including in the main entry/lobby into the gymnasium. We are very excited to be able to make this upgrade, which was not a part of the original project budget. Look for the tile makeover to be complete by early in 2016.

We are very fortunate that these spaces will remain operational and productive during the time of construction. While there will be some inconvenience for a while, we’re excited for the great new facility that will result. In the meantime, if you have questions or concerns about the project, please feel free to contact Director of Facilities Services Dan Lorenz at 701-788-4676.

Photo Captions:

Top: Brick work is being completed on the north addition of the HPER facility replacement and expansion project. The football locker room project is underway to the west of this addition.

Bottom: This photo shows the two additions that are being constructed on the east side of the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse. Brick work on exterior walls of the additions is about half finished, while about 25% of the steel siding is in place.