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The entire middle section connecting Snyder and Phillips Halls, containing the dining halls and kitchens, was demolished, making room for the most innovative dining service venue this campus has ever seen. Much more than just a food court, this new concept may set a precedent for future food service delivery at MSU. Christman Company began work on this project in May 2006. The construction area was fenced off and Dormitory Rd. was closed to through traffic. All student furniture (more than a dozen semi-truck loads) was removed from resident rooms, community bathrooms were emptied of all fixtures, and on the outside, trees were removed or relocated to accommodate the demolition. Then, the entire center section of the building was demolished. This was all accomplished in about three weeks.
Like most Divisional construction projects, this was truly a team effort. More than fifty students worked with Operations Supervisor Adam Koivisto and Assistant Manager Tom Welburn to move the furniture, and MSU Surplus found a buyer for most of the salvaged items. MSU Grounds provided necessary expertise regarding disposition, relocation and protection of the trees, and the Office of Recycling and Waste Management worked closely with Christman to provide dumpsters and transportation for literally tons of building materials that were recycled, including wood, iron and copper. Many materials, including windows, bricks, limestone and slate roof shingles, were removed from the center section prior to demolition. These were saved for use later in the project, either on the new construction, or to make any necessary repairs on the two remaining sections. The Snyder/Phillips renovation was completed by fall of 2007, in time for the return of the fall semester 2007 students. |
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| August 24 |  This will be the last report on Snyder/Phillips at this time since students have moved in, and The Gallery and Aroma Borealis are open and operational A couple of opening celebrations are planned in the next few weeks to welcome everyone, but the majority of the facility is presently in use. Christman Construction is still on site completing offices, classrooms and the multimedia room in the basement for the Residential College in Arts and Humanities.  The patio on the north side of The Gallery is awaiting a railing, and then seating will be placed outside. During move-in this past week, comments from parents and students are very positive. The Gallery will be a model for the evolution of MSU’s dining services. As always, our customers determine our direction, and they have spoken loud and clear – they love The Gallery! |
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| August 10 |  Counting down to opening day now – all areas are putting on their finishing touches. Food has started arriving, and staff is being trained. Furniture has been distributed throughout the dining room (photo above), as well as in entry areas on both sides of The Gallery. Aroma Borealis is looking beautiful as well, with furniture and kitchen equipment all in place (photo below, left). Many kitchen staff members from across campus were at The Gallery today, receiving training in pizza making in the Ciao area (photo below, right). Our staff is excited about this new operation, and comments suggest that students and staff will be very impressed and pleased as well. Although The Gallery will be open by move-in (August 21), the Grand Opening is scheduled for September 7.  |
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| July 27 |  It’s been over a month since our last update, and much has changed. The Gallery passed its health inspection last week, and food will begin to arrive early next week for the succession of grand opening functions that are planned. The first will be a thank-you luncheon for the construction crew. Dining room furniture has arrived and is currently stacked in the dining area. (photo above) However, as final floor cleanup is completed, chairs, tables and modular booth seating are being distributed into appropriate areas. Signs are up for all but one of the food venues, and final cleanup is progressing throughout. (photo below, left) Elsewhere in the complex, student workers are beginning to move all the new, recently delivered modular furniture into resident rooms in preparation for move-in. Outside, sidewalks and driveways have been poured, soil has been graded and hydroseeded, and fences have come down. The back dock (photo below, right) has been screened from Baker Hall with an attractive brick wall, and accessible entrances are available in at least four locations. In our next installment, The Gallery will be OPEN and serving food – stop in for a visit!  |
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| June 15 |  The Gallery is preparing for a visit from the health inspector, so most kitchen equipment is already installed, and the remainder will go in very soon. Aroma Borealis is now emblazoned in a fitting warm coffee brown across one of the windows in this spacious, well-designed coffee shop (photo above). It won’t be long before students are sitting in this sunny, cozy spot, enjoying a latte and WiFi on their laptop. Further into the dining area, tile is being laid on the main floor, and large rolls of carpet are present, ready to be installed when the tile is completed (photo below, left). Work on the ceiling of the dining area has been completed, and now the design elements can be seen (photo below, right). Outside, mahogany doors have been installed on both north entrances, and bike loops have been provided in several places for convenient access. Some student room areas have been turned over to the University already for cleaning, with more coming shortly.  |
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| June 1 |  Finishes, including carpeting and lights have been installed in the Snyder Hall lobby area in preparation for early move-ins coming in just a few weeks. These lights were specially selected to match original 1940s lights (photo above, left). Aroma Borealis is sporting a newly stained wood soffit over its serving counter area, from which lights will soon hang. Refrigeration and cooking equipment and stainless steel counters and shelving continues to arrive for all dining areas and is being installed as quickly as possible (photo above, right). Front doors have been installed on either side of the dining area, where the ramps have been created. Both ramps are now tiled as well. Downstairs in the Multipurpose Room, wiring for theatrical lighting has been completed, and drywall work will begin shortly. Outside, Dormitory Rd. has been closed permanently, and sidewalks are being poured across what will eventually become “greenspace” (photo below).  |
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| May 11 |  Progress is very evident in the Aroma Borealis coffee shop, with windows installed (photo above, left) and equipment coming in. This is shaping up to be a beautiful retail-feeling space that will undoubtedly enjoy a great deal of traffic. Right next door, a locker room and break area is nearly finished for food service employees. A ramp is also being constructed that will allow wheelchair entrance from sidewalks at the rear of the building. Just down a short hall, the massive dining space of The Gallery is taking shape. Toward the back of the main dining room, beautiful new metallic-looking tile has been installed on a dark red wall, making a strong statement.  In one of the cooking areas, pizza ovens have been installed (photo above, right), as well as several other pieces of equipment. The ceiling grid and some of the tiles have been installed in the main dining area, giving an idea of the finished look (photo right). Doors to the north patio have been installed, and the short brick wall has been constructed to define the space. The floor of the patio will be poured shortly. Drywall work is continuing on second and third floor offices and classrooms. In the basement, progress continues on the multifunctional room, and nearby public restrooms are receiving tile on their walls. |
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| April 27 |  The first meal has been served in The Gallery! A cookout was held today for the approximately 200 Christman employees on site, with everything from burgers and hot dogs to salads, snacks and desserts. A couple of our own Mason/Abbot student employees manned the outdoor grills (photo top, left). Christman workers took a well-deserved break from months of hard work to enjoy the building they helped create, and some camaraderie with coworkers (photos, top right and below). Employees also took this opportunity to say good-bye to a couple of long-time Christman employees, both of whom are nearing 40 years of service with the company. As you can see in the background, drywall work is nearly complete in the dining area, and posts have been wrapped with a material that will resemble plaster when finished. Finally, stainless steel counters, sinks and pot racks have arrived and will be installed in kitchen areas shortly.  |
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| April 13 |  Take a look at the tile (photos above)! The Gallery area is showing off some gorgeous new tile in four separate areas along the outside walls.  Workmen are finishing up just in time for the April 16 deadline. More and more drywall is going up, defining classrooms, offices and hallways. The Aroma Borealis is sporting a new paint job, and we’ll be seeing more exciting changes there soon. Out front, the patio area is being filled and finished, and windows have gone into the entrance towers. So many fine details have been considered in this project with the goal of blending the new with the old. This copper downspout strap is a perfect example (photo right). |
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| March 30 |  With just a few months to go, we’re starting to see some finishing touches. Some student room hallways in Snyder have been completed and sealed off, waiting only for final cleanup and floor waxing. Community bathrooms in these hallways are only missing mirrors before they can be declared complete. The conference room on the first floor has had its ceiling replastered and its crown molding repaired and repainted (photo right). Downstairs in the Art Room, a gridwork system (photo below, left) has been installed on the ceiling, which will be the final ceiling treatment. The materials above it will simply be painted black. This gridwork, also being installed in the second floor gallery area, will be used to hang various artworks. Scaffolding has been placed to allow ceiling installation to begin in the main dining area (photo below, right). By mid-April (next photo op), we should see more exciting changes.  |
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| March 19 | The big news this week is the decision to permanently close Dormitory Rd. between Mason/Abbot and Snyder/Phillips Halls. This will allow for expansive green space between the two buildings, as well as a great view from the new Gallery dining venues.  In the main kitchen area, the oven hoods have been installed, and appliances are due sometime in May. Downstairs, in the new stadium-seating theater area (photo, right) and in the multi-purpose room, a theater lighting company has been hired to install proper lighting for both artwork and theatrical purposes. |
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| March 2 |  The exterior of the new dining atrium is looking much more complete now with metal framing surrounding the windows (photo above, left) and granite going up below the limestone on the entrances (photo above, right). In the bathrooms, lockers have been installed (photo below, left), and dividers have been placed on the kiosks between the sinks. On Friday, March 2, Christman’s Sam Ruegsegger took Residential College in Arts and Humanities faculty on a tour of their new home (photo below, right). Many of the building’s special features were noted, including several large walls that will be used to highlight student artwork, and a large stadium-type seating area in the basement that will be used as a theater and performance stage. With less than five months to go before the space will be utilized, excitement is building right along with the structure.  |
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| February 16 |  Finally! Windows in the dining area! We’ve been waiting for them, and now they’re in (photo above). Seventy-two of them were installed this last week – on the exterior of the north side, on the second floor balcony, and in the conference rooms overlooking the dining area. Workmen are happy because it helps to keep the structure a bit warmer than it was before. There have been some recent days when they couldn’t work in the center section due to extreme cold. In other areas, stairways have been built and handrails installed (photo below, left). Carpet is going into student room hallways and tile (photo below, right) is going into the student rooms. In the center dining area, the massive steel beams running from floor to ceiling will soon be wrapped in a round fiberglass form, then plastered. A specially designed “laid in” ceiling will then be installed.  |
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| February 5 |  The exterior of the north side is looking much more finished with the completion of the brick columns (photo above). You can also see where the two exterior doors will soon be. Inside, metal studwalls and drywall are going up on all three levels of the new center section, delineating offices, conference rooms and hallways (photo below, left). The last piece of concrete floor to be cut out has begun on the third floor (photo below, right). These openings are needed for elevator shafts and stairwells. In the basement, forms have been laid for new columns that will go up through the floors above and support them, while several old columns will be removed. Work continues on mechanical and communications equipment in the basement and on third floor. Bathrooms are finishing up in Snyder, while just beginning in Phillips. In several student room hallways, ceiling tiles and carpeting are the only remaining finishes to be done.  |
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| January 29 |
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| January 22 |
One of the updates being done in both Snyder and Phillips halls is the addition of several stairwells. In order to build these, huge openings had to be cut into the thick concrete floors. As these floors were cut into pieces, an excavator (photo, right), small enough to fit through a doorframe, has been used to lift and move the heavy pieces of concrete. Since it’s too small for a person to sit on it, it’s operated by remote control! |
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| January 12 | The stars of the show this week are some of the smaller things. In the Snyder Hall bathrooms, countertops are beginning to go in, and they’re a gorgeous red composite (photo below, left) with undermounted seamless white sinks that blend beautifully with the tilework. These will be a breeze to clean and look really nice (pardon the construction dust for now). In the shower area, heat lamps are starting to be installed, and they are operated individually by means of electronic timer switches within each divided stall (photo below, right). Gone are the old, outdated bathrooms, and in their place, students will enjoy beautiful, new, thoughtfully designed facilities. Looking out the north end of the future Gallery (photo below), you can see the metal framing going up around the beams. Brickwork will be installed here, and then finally the glass windows will be set into place. |
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| January 9 |  In the past three weeks, much has been accomplished. Progress has continued on bathrooms, with grouting completed and doors installed in some locations. Interior doors in the bathrooms are FRP (fire-rated plastic), which will be low maintenance and won’t rust (photo, right). Brickwork on the outside continues as well, and the mild weather has provided a bonus here. The glass has arrived for the massive expanse of windows on the north side of the dining area, however, blockwork must be completed before installation can begin (photo below, right). Once again, the warmer weather has allowed the plastic to come down from windows and work to proceed quickly. Fire-rated drywall is beginning to be installed around beams, providing additional protection against fire spreading from floor to floor. A 170-ton crane has been brought into the site to lift the air handlers and chiller into the building. This is one of the largest cranes in the state (photo below, left). Testing was done on portions of the massive ventilation system to be sure there were no leaks, and ductwork continues in other areas. Student rooms and hallways are gradually receiving new ceilings and paint, and as hallways will eventually be closed off when finished.  |
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| December 18 |
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| December 8 |
Workmen are carrying heavy concrete composite roof blocks up a ladder to be recycled back to their original job, protecting the roof (first photo below). These blocks were carefully removed from the old center section of the building before it was demolished and stacked up safely for the past few months. Plastic has been placed over the huge window openings on the north side, as well as on most other window openings in the new section. With the change from fall weather to biting cold temperatures, workmen are looking forward to the heat that will soon be turned on in this section. In the photos below (2nd & 3rd), you can see the interior and exterior of the moveable “scaffolding room,” which protects bricklayers and brickwork from weather. As each section is completed, the entire room is elevated on the steel tower to complete the next level. Progress continues in community bathrooms with plumbing, heating, electrical and tilework. Ductwork for heating and ventilation is also being installed throughout the new section. |
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| November 20 |  Steel wall studs are nearly completed on the second floor classrooms overlooking the main dining area, as well as in the lower level rooms on the Snyder side (photo above). The first bathroom to be tiled now has its diagonally designed floor installed, as well as tile on the shower seats, and much of the wall tile has been grouted. Outside, weatherproofing has been installed on the side of the new addition, readying it for brickwork (photo below, left). Workers are trying hard to get the building closed up for the winter, now that steam pipes have been connected on both sides, and heat will be available throughout. Slate tiles for the roof (photo below, right) have been delivered, and will be installed shortly, contributing to the approximately $2 million in materials going into this building per month. On the building’s south side, concrete block walls are being completed, and plastic is already installed on some window openings to help keep the heat in and weather out until the windows are installed.  |
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| November 13 |  Not only will this renovation be beautiful to look at, but its systems are state-of-the-art. The fire prevention/suppression system, for example, includes the expected sprinklers and fire extinguishers, but it also includes these smoke dampers (photo right), that shut down if a fire is detected. This keeps the smoke from spreading to other areas, and it also effectively stops the free flow of oxygen that would feed the fire. The fire alarm system itself is even specially designed to still operate, even after being damaged. Watching this building come together, with all its high quality materials and systems, instills a sense of confidence that it will withstand many decades of heavy use, and still protect its occupants effectively. |
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| November 6 |  The first bathroom has progressed to the point where it’s ready for “the waterproofing test.” Water is run onto the bathroom floor up to a depth of 2-3” (doorways are blocked off to retain the water) and left for forty-eight hours to see if there are any leaks in the floor’s waterproofing. This is especially important for upper floor bathrooms. The basement is currently being backfilled, then steel decking will be laid and a concrete floor poured. Concrete block walls are going up on the outside of the new addition(photo, left). This center section is scheduled to be closed in before winter. Steam tunnels are nearing completion; lines have been run through Phillips and the center section and they’re about to be connected in the Snyder side. The Phillips side is enjoying heat now, with the Snyder side coming soon. Plaster work and painting have been halted until the building is warm again. Fireproofing is nearly complete on the steelwork; only the third floor remains to be completed. On the roof (photo, right), specialized panels are being laid onto the steel decking. Tar will be poured next, then felt installed, and finally stone will be poured to finish the roof. The concrete foundations for the piers are being poured, and beautiful new windows are now on site and awaiting installation. |
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| October 30 |
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| October 20 |  Concrete work on the floors is nearly complete, with the south half of the first floor, the second and third floors were done this past week. Pictured is the concrete pump depositing concrete on the floor for the chiller on the roof. Instead of hand-troweling, machines are being used for these large expanses of concrete. Bathrooms are progressing, with tile (pictured) now present on some of the walls and drywall being installed. The steam tunnel connections will be completed shortly, and the large open area to the north of the new building will be filled in at that time. Additionally, fireproofing is being sprayed onto the steel beams throughout the new structure as well, which is designed to prevent the heat of a fire from weakening the beams. |
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| October 9 |  Concrete has been poured on the north half of the first floor (above left), which makes it much easier to envision the new dining space and the great view out the north side. The second and third floors are also expected to receive concrete this week. The elevator shaft on the south end of the building is nearly complete as well. Corrugated metal has been placed on the roof (above right), so construction workers can soon look forward to working in a dry environment. Community bathrooms are progressing, with metal work on the sink kiosks, as well as steel mesh and drywall being installed on ceilings and walls. The massive red crane that has moved all the steel beams is scheduled to leave the site this week. |
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| October 3 |  Work continues on community bathrooms, with gridwork for ceilings, venting installation, drywall and plumbing. Preparation is nearly complete for ceramic tile installation as well. The steam tunnel that was run from Mason/Abbot in early summer is now being run from near Dormitory Rd. into the basement of the new addition (left photo above), where it will be routed into both Snyder and Phillips Halls. On the first floor, preparations are underway for the kitchen on the south side, where a sunken steel floor has been laid for the new freezer. In the classroom areas, electrical boxes are being placed on the floor so students will eventually be able to plug in their laptop computers. In the basement, concrete piers are being dug out after steel reinforcing beams are put in place to support the ceiling. Eventually, some of these piers will be removed. In the front of the building, workers were pouring concrete (right photo above) between the forms for the curved front of the basement from a massive bucket brought into place with a crane. |
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| September 25 |  Check out the view from the second floor. The conference rooms will have windows overlooking the dining area and the expansive view out the large north windows. By next week, we should be seeing concrete floors on this steel decking. The other photo shows one of the temporary ramps leading down to the dining area. The permanent ramps will be installed shortly. Ceramic tile has been delivered, and the masons are beginning work in the community bathrooms. The steam tunnel going from Mason/Abbot to Snyder/Phillips will also be connected shortly. Then the north terrace area will be backfilled and concrete poured. |
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| September 18 |  Steel beams and decking are finishing up on the south side of the new addition, as the large red crane is preparing to depart the site shortly. Concrete will be poured on each floor's decking within the next couple of weeks, and underground utilities are being completed in the basement. Two semi-trucks loaded with ceramic tile are expected shortly, and masons will begin installing the tile in the community baths. Also coming soon - a couple of student rooms will be completed to be used as models.  |
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| September 11 |  Steel girders are going up now on the south side of the new addition. The steel decking is being installed on the second and third floors, as well as on the roof. It's now easy to see where the two-story atrium will be. From the north side, the shape of the new building is beginning to emerge. Progress is also continuing on community bathrooms. |
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| August 28 |  The first of eighteen bathrooms is nearing completion. Ductwork and light fixtures are nearly finished, and tilework will begin soon. Steel decking is going up on the recently placed beams. The oak panels seen in the photo above left have been removed from the pillars and will be stripped and refinished to be used on several walls in that same room. Welding has also begun on all the beam joints. Once this has been completed, utility lines will be laid into the decking, then concrete will be poured over them. On the south side, an excavator is working on a roadway that will allow a crane to come in and complete laying the beams on this side of the building. |
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| August 21 |  Steel has now been erected up to the roof on the north side of the complex, giving you an idea of what the roof will eventually look like. Inside, it is evident where the atrium will be. Welding is next, securing all beams together, as well as attaching the metal decking for the floors. By the end of this week, the mammoth crane will be moved to the south side of the building to finish the other half of the steel work. Electrical work has begun in the basement of the new addition. Dormitory Rd. is open this week for student move-in, however, it will be closed again next week to allow sanitary and other utilities to be connected. The road should open again by later in September.  |
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| August 14 |  The steel beams are progressing in the center section with the addition of the third floor. Decking has also been installed on the lower levels, and you can begin to see the eventual form of the final structure. The driveway going into the Mason/Abbot parking lot now has curb and gutter installed, and Christman expects to have one lane of Dormitory Road open for traffic within a week. In one of the Snyder Hall community bathrooms, much of the concrete blockwork has been completed, with shower stalls, outer walls and a kiosk-style sink arrangement. The ladder-type arrangement seen on the crane shows how multiple beams are connected so they can all be lifted at once. As the bottom one is secured in place, it's released from the crane, and the next beam goes in similarly.  |
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| August 7 |  Thanks to the giant crane, steel is going up quickly now. In the week and a half since they brought in the first steel, Christman has done considerable work, despite last week's tremendous heat and driving rains, which both caused problems. The decking, or smaller beams, will be placed on the larger beams shortly. Once all floors are built, the roof will be removed from both Snyder and Phillips Halls, and the steel beams will tie into the existing construction of the old halls. Then a roof will be built over the entire section. Work has also begun on the south side basements of both halls, with concrete forms being placed on Snyder for the foundation, and an entrance being constructed to connect the new section to Phillips. |
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July 24 |
 Concrete work is nearly complete on the lowest level of the new addition. Later this week, a special crane will be brought in to place the large steel beams in place on top of the concrete supports. The steam tunnel running across Dormitory Rd. from Snyder/Phillips to Mason/Abbot is covered now and nearly finished. Within three weeks, Dormitory Road will be cleared of construction materials and machinery and opened for use.  Inside Snyder Hall, the concrete blocks have been delivered for use in the new bathrooms, and concrete floors have been poured. Holes are being bored in the floor for plumbing, and other plumbing has already been installed, both in the community bathrooms and throughout the halls. In Phillips Hall, abatement continues, and work on the bathrooms has begun. |
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July 13 |
 Considerable concrete work has been completed over the past two weeks - walls are nearly complete for the front (north) wall of the new dining complex, and the steam tunnel is well underway that will connect Snyder/Phillips and Mason/Abbot halls. Asbestos abatement has been completed on both ceilings and floors in the halls, and work is continuing on hall bathrooms. Preparations are being made for a special large crane to arrive on site July 28 to lift the massive steel beams into place that will connect everything together, just like a giant jigsaw puzzle. |
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June 26 |
 Much of the foundation has been poured and concrete pilings are in place for the new addition on the north side. The concrete floor in the basement is being removed to allow for underground utilities to be installed in bathrooms and hallways. Where you now see the huge fireplace in the basement of Snyder Hall, a large hallway will soon be built to connect to Phillips Hall. Like Snyder Hall, the Phillips bathrooms are being readied for remodeling. |
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| June 19 |
 Concrete pilings can be seen in the above photo, shoring up the foundations of both Snyder and Phillips Halls - these will support the new structure. Work continues on community bathrooms and corridors.  |
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| June 12 | Over the past two weeks, all the debris from the demolition has been cleared away, and the digging for the foundation of the new addition has begun. They are going down twenty-five feet from ground level to build a basement in the new addition. On the south side, they are digging down to prepare for the new elevators. Reinforcing rods are being drilled into the ground to tie into the new concrete. Foundation concrete will be poured beginning this week. Soon, a large crane will be on site to begin placing the large steel beams into place.
Inside, work is continuing on student rooms and community bathrooms. The new bathrooms will be larger, adding on space equivalent to at least one student room. Walls, floors and ceilings are being taken down to the bare bones to prepare for the renovations.
Something most of us never think about: the precision with which the excavator operator must operate. He must be able to place a 3.5 yard capacity shovel full of soil inside the long, narrow hauling trucks - believe me, there isn't much room on either side of the shovel. In addition, he provides assistance to the hauling trucks, which get stuck regularly in the loose road soil. He positions the shovel carefully inside the back of the truck, on top of the dirt, and pushes the truck forward! Experience has taught him how much pressure to exert - too much and he would damage the truck, too little and the truck would stay stuck. |
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| May 22 |  Excavator is removing center section. Began about 9:30 am; about two-thirds of section was out in just a couple of hours. One guy stands off to the side, spraying the debris with a hose to keep down the dust. As he takes down sections, he sorts the debris into general piles for recycling. Once the building is down, more sorting will be done as most of the debris will be recycled rather than being taken to landfills. By Friday, there won’t be much left except a big hole. Many different parts of the center section building, including slate roof shingles, bricks, limestone and even windows, have already been salvaged to be reused as needed as the building is reconstructed. |
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| May 9 & 10 |  The construction site is mostly fenced, road blockades are up, and stone has been placed near demolition site for trucks to use as a driveway. Only one outside layer of brick had been removed from one side of the center section, but a few trees had been taken down. More than a dozen semi-trucks have been filled with student room furniture, with a couple more truckloads yet to go. Apparently, Surplus found a buyer for the whole lot. Also, the bricks that are being removed will be recycled as much as possible on the new structure. The parking lot on the north side is being broken up, and a few more trees are down. |
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Division of Residential and Hospitality Services | Michigan State University © 2009 - All Rights Reserved |
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We are now past the halfway point – the project has been underway nearly nine months, and we’ve got about seven months before scheduled completion. Several hallways in Snyder Hall have student rooms and bathrooms nearly complete, and hallways only need carpet and suspended ceilings before being closed off. Concrete walls are being constructed around new stairways in both Snyder and Phillips Halls, and the last of the concrete piers are being completed in the basement. The massive air handlers have now been permanently placed on their steel beams on the third floor and will soon be attached to the large ductwork run through the entire building. In the basement, massive electrical equipment is arriving (photo above), and soon, communications equipment will be on site to be installed in specially prepared rooms. 
In the main dining area, a “curtain wall” is being erected on the balcony (photo above) overlooking the first floor. The steel framing will be completed with custom-fitted glass, clear on the top, opaque on the bottom to hide the beam ends. Finally, exterior finishes are continuing, with new windows installed on the south end of the center section, brickwork nearly complete, and work on the roof is underway. On the north side, caps have been placed atop the brick pillars in front of the large curved windows. (photo, right) 
Some of the bathrooms are taking on a more finished look with maple-finished stall walls in place, both in the rest room area and in the shower room (photo, right). Separator panels are also going in on the large kiosk sink. Some hallways are nearly ready to be closed off, as painting is completed, student rooms are finished, and suspended ceilings are put into place. 
In the new central building, the elevator cab has been put into place near the back dock. In the kitchen area, concrete block walls are being erected, and some windows have even been installed. On the north window wall, a plastic enclosure has been built to allow masons to lay brick around the columns between the large windows (coming soon), and a stone cap will be placed at the top of each column (photo, left). 
Brickwork is continuing on the center section, with major portions now finished (photo, right). It will be difficult to tell the old building from the new once the project is complete, thanks to careful selection of materials. Work on the roof is also moving forward, which helps to dry out the center section as water leaks are eliminated. Temporary heating units have been installed throughout, making working conditions much more tolerable for construction workers through the winter months. Electrical work and HVAC ductwork is proceeding throughout the center section, and framing for walls and windows is visible on the first and second floor (photo, bottom left). The second floor windows will offer a beautiful view of the lower dining area, as well as the outdoors. The center section is nearly closed up, with plastic being placed on all openings to retain heat and keep out snow and rain (photo, bottom right). The most exciting news is that windows have been ordered for the north atrium area of the new dining venue. When this report is updated next, in three weeks, you will see glass on that beautiful, big window! Happy Holidays! 
Tilework is progressing in the Snyder Hall community bathrooms, with work now being done in the showers. In other bathrooms, drywall is being readied for the tile. In Phillips Hall, plumbing is now completed and cement block walls are being erected. Hallways are receiving plaster in some areas, while the plumbing for the sprinkler systems is complete in both halls. Work on the steam tunnels is also moving along, with the connection nearly complete (left photo) between the Mason/Abbot and Snyder/Phillips buildings. The photo on the right shows a concrete pier hanging below a steel beam. Beneath the pier, the soil has been dug down nearly fifteen feet. New, much larger, pier foundations are being poured that will support this pier. Along with the steel beam, these will allow the removal of some of the piers now seen in the old dining and common areas. 
