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The complex was emptied May 2006, including the post office, and residents were offered plenty of assistance with moving to other housing. Materials were salvaged and recycled wherever feasible, and the landscape plan was reviewed to protect or relocate as many trees as possible. The entire area was fenced and gated, and signs were posted. Christman Company, who was the designer/builder for this project, began demolition of existing structures the end of May 2006, and the entire complex was down by mid-August. Completion of the new complex, which features seventy-six, four-bedroom apartments for junior and senior students, was completed in August 2007. Apartments contain two baths, shared living space and kitchen facilities and are contained in two- and three-story buildings. Green space is maximized in the new complex, and adequate parking is provided. Also available is a community center, which contains meeting spaces, offices, mailboxes and vending areas. To view photos of the apartment with the actual furnishings |
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August 10 |
  This will be the last report on UV at this time, since the complex is complete, and the Grand Opening / Ribbon cutting has been held. Residents are now moved in, and parking lots are full. Manager Laura King, the Residence Life Director, and several student employees now man the offices (photos above) in the Community Building, and the regular routine of student living in the complex has begun. The Community Building itself is furnished and ready for activity (photo above). Already King is receiving rave reviews from residents. After more than a year in the making, University Village is everything we hoped it would become – a step toward the future of University Housing and another option for students who enjoy the convenience and community of on-campus living. |
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August 10 |
 Buildings are now ready for students to move in. Despite our hot weather, the areas seeded with grass are beginning to look green, and the far west end of the complex, including the area near the basketball courts, has been hydroseeded (photo above, left). Parking lots have their lines painted on, and with residents due to move in shortly, this may be the last time we see this area empty (photo above, right). MSU Grounds Department was working today on landscaping the entry boulevard to prepare the area for the Grand Opening on Tuesday, August 14 (photo below).  |
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July 27 |
 In this past month, Christman has removed its trailer from the premises, and the complex is nearly ready for move-in. The former entrances from Marigold St. have been closed off with curb and gutter. The only entrances are now from Kalamazoo St. (photo above) Former roads are now gone, and that land has been graded and hydroseeded in most areas. Buildings are cleaned and complete, ready for their first residents. The community building is nearly complete, with just final details remaining. Mailboxes are being installed (photo below, left), and final cleanup is being done in the main community room. (photo below, right) In our next visit, we’ll see the entire complex buzzing with move-in activity.  |
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| June 15 |  Most interior work on all eight apartment buildings has been completed. Exterior finishing is being done on buildings 7 and 8 currently (photo above, left). It’s now only a matter of a few weeks before residents begin moving into the new complex. Sidewalks are being completed (photo above, right), and bike loops have been installed in several areas around the complex. The Community Building is receiving drywall, and a fireplace has been installed in the main room (photo below). Most grading has been completed around all buildings, and a concrete base has been poured for the basketball court.  |
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June 1 |
  Exterior finishing touches are evident with the creation of this basketball court on the northwest end of University Village (photo above, left). Final grading is also being done throughout the complex (photo above, right), and the property west of Marigold St. has already been hydroseeded, returning it to “greenspace.” The last apartment building, #8, is undergoing its final checklist, as the buildings are being “buttoned up” before students begin to take possession of units in just a few weeks. The Community Building has received most of its exterior siding, and drywall work is beginning. Additionally, a cupola with a special weathervane has been built atop the structure, leaving no doubt that this is Spartan Country (photo right). |
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May 11 |
 More finishing touches are appearing outside the eight apartment buildings. In addition to light posts being installed by Physical Plant, a bike rack (photo right) has been securely implanted in the sidewalk in front of buildings one and two, and additional sidewalks continue to be poured. Building eight is finally receiving its brick and siding (photo below, left), while final cleanup is progressing into building six. Dishwashers and microwaves are scheduled to arrive June 1, and furniture is on the calendar for June 18. In early July, refrigerators and ovens are on the calendar. Laundry equipment will be arriving later in the summer. The property west of University Village is being readied for grass planting, and soon, the same procedure will occur around the apartment buildings. Finally, the community building is progressing, with windows now in, and drywall beginning (photo below, right).  |
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| April 27 |
Finally, the community building is taking shape. Exterior sheathing is complete and the roof is ready to be shingled. Interior walls have been framed, and windows will be installed soon (photo below). |
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April 13 |
 Rain and snow have not been helping progress on exterior projects here, but interiors are moving right along. Flooring is being completed in building 6 and beginning in building 7, while cabinets are now going up in building 8. The exterior on building 8 (photo above, left) is moving slowly at the moment due to a delay in obtaining concrete finishing blocks, but they are due to arrive shortly. Cleanup is progressing in buildings 3, 4 and 5, and final checklists are being done. Stakes are going up for sidewalk placement (photo above, right), and if the weather cooperates, concrete could be poured soon. Finally, framing has now begun on the Community Building (photo below).  |
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| March 30 |  With buildings 1 and 2 needing only final cleaning, building 3 is close behind (photo right). Flooring has been completed in buildings 4 and 5, and cabinetry is being finished up in building 6. Drywall work is finishing in building 7 in preparation for cabinetry. Doorframes and drywall work are in progress in building 8. Early tenants (birds) are already attempting to claim their rooms, so workers are trying to button up the outside quickly (photo below). Within the next few weeks, Christman hopes to have load restrictions lifted from roadways, allowing them to haul needed soil and road materials to begin final grading of the UV property. Also, the Community Building is due to begin construction within the next month. As spring continues, we’ll begin to see things “green up” at UV.  |
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| March 19 | The recent milder weather and the disappearance of ice and snow have been very helpful to construction workers at University Village. Exterior work is nearly finished through building #7 (photo below, left), and bricklayers are expected shortly to begin building #8. Doorframes are also nearing completion in building #8 and the last Gypcrete® floor is being poured in the same building. These construction workers were preparing the mixture prior to pouring (photo below, right). |
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| March 2 |  Now that we’ve begun the month of March, it’s only a few more weeks until spring, which means University Village is going to start looking less like a construction site, and more like home for the 300 students who will live there this fall. With buildings 1 and 2 now complete, the focus is on the remaining six buildings. Building 3 is receiving its green metal roofing (photo above, left) on the tallest section, and finishing touches are taking place inside. Exterior work is fairly complete in buildings 4 and 5, and cabinetry is also nearly finished, so the primary work is being done on interior flooring and wall finishes. Exterior siding (photo above, right) is going up on building 6, and brickwork is just completed on building 7. Finally, building 8 now has windows and a generator for heat (photo below), so drywall work can begin.  |
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February 16 |
 That famous roof on building 8 is currently being worked on despite all the cold weather we’ve experienced. Even though snow is still present on parts of the roof, most of the ice is gone, so workmen are continuing to make progress to stay on schedule (photo above, left). Building 7 is getting finishing touches on drywall, while this process is just beginning in building 6. Bricklayers are being held up a bit by the cold temperatures, but they expect to continue work on building 5 this week. Cabinets are also going into building 5. The special Gypcrete acoustic flooring material is going into Building 4, while flooring is being completed in building 3. Buildings 1 and 2 are now essentially complete. When spring finally arrives, the grounds will be hydroseeded for grass with minimal landscaping done until there is time to gather input from both residents and the surrounding community about possible landscaping plans. With sign-up in progress, a sign has been placed at the gate (photo above, right) to inform interested passersby. |
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February 5 |
 Exterior photos are starting to look the same now, with about half the buildings bricked and sided. Final touches are being applied to building 2, with the exterior doors being installed last week (photo, right). In building 3, cabinets are being installed, while building 4 is just beginning to receive their cabinets (photo below, left). Siding and roofing are being completed on building 5 (photo below, right), and interior painting has begun. Painting is also finishing up in building 6, while drywall is being installed in building 7. Last week’s news about the roofing on building 8 is about the same this week. It’s been too cold for workers to clear the roof to finish shingling, but they have a heater in the building and are continuing to work on framing while waiting for the roof to thaw. The community center is still expected to begin within the next couple of weeks. |
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| January 29 |  The model apartment was ready for the sign-up event held last weekend, and many applicants lined up (photo, right) to apply for one of the new apartments. A few units still remain, so sign-up is continuing. New University Village residents will enjoy several features designed to make these apartments quieter, as well as more energy efficient. A product called Gyp-Crete ® acoustic underlayment has been installed on the floors, and all walls and floors have been insulated – not just in the hallways, but within and between each and every room (photo below, left). A special insulation called QuietZone ® was used (photo below, right) to help control noise. Interior finishing continues in buildings 2 and 3, with building 1 being nearly completed. Exterior work continues on buildings 4 through 8, with siding on the earlier buildings and roof work still needed on building 8. With the cold weather setting in for awhile, workmen will use chloride to remove snow and ice so they may complete their shingling.  |
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| January 22 |  The big story, of course, is the model apartment receiving final touches for the Open House and sign-up event, which began January 20. Our own Interior Designer Linda Luoma, from Construction, Maintenance and Interior Design, is in charge of decorating and making the apartment look like a student’s dream. As these photos were taken, things weren’t quite finished, so tune in next week and see the final result (photos above). Outside the apartment, in the hallway, concrete floors have been colored and treated to look like stone (photo below). Not only does this make for easy cleanup, but the colors coordinate with what’s been used in the apartments. Elsewhere in the complex, siding is being finished up on buildings 3, 4 and 5. Interior framing is in progress in buildings 6, 7 and 8. The ice and snow we’ve recently received has slowed progress on building 8’s roof, but windows have been installed, which will help protect the structure.  |
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| January 12 |
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| January 9 |  Progress in our new apartment complex is exciting, with something going on in every building. Building 1 is being prepared for the upcoming open house and sign-up events, with appliances and furniture now in some apartments (photo above). Carpeting has begun in hallways, and woodwork has been completed in stairways (photo below, left).  Even the new metal exterior doors have been installed (photo, right).  Recent rains have made things a bit muddy, but the mild weather has allowed for continuous progress on framing and roofing, as well as exterior block and brickwork. Each building is running approximately three weeks behind the previous one. So building 2 is beginning to see cabinetry and flooring, while insulation and drywall are being finished in building 3. Buildings 4 and 5 are getting their soundproofing floors installed, while windows are being installed in buildings 6 and 7. Block and brickwork is also beginning on these buildings. Building 8 is still in the framing stages. The community center has only its concrete slab so far; student apartments are a higher priority at this point. |
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| December 18 |  We have flooring! Building 1 now has vinyl installed in bathrooms, and laminate that looks like wood flooring in bedrooms and common areas (photo, right). Both are low maintenance and strong materials, chosen with student use in mind. Green metal roofing is being installed on one section of building 2, providing a great finishing touch to the exterior. Painting is beginning in building 3, while siding and window trim are applied to the outside (photo below, left). Brickwork, roofing and windows have been completed on buildings 4 and 5, and insulation is finishing up. Shingling has begun on building 6, and windows are also being installed. Building 7 has its roof on now, and floor joists are beginning to go up between the first and second floors of building 8. The foundation was poured for the community building, but walls will probably not be placed until after the first of the year. With sign-up just a few short weeks away, a furnished model apartment is being prepared for open house attendees. The FedEx truck delivered the first of the furniture pieces today (photo below, right), however the plastic hides the treasure for now. Tune in three weeks from now for the next update, and see the unwrapped version. Happy Holidays! |
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| December 8 |
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| November 20 |  Kitchens and bathrooms in building #1 are nearing completion, with countertops and flooring expected within the next couple of weeks. Siding on building #2 is being finished (photo above, left), while insulation is being blown into building #3. With all the recent rains, nearly completed brickwork on building #4 is being protected from the elements with tarps (photo above, right), while scaffolding is set up to begin brickwork on building #5 (photo below). Buildings 6 and 7 have their first floors constructed, and building #8 has its foundation complete and is ready to begin construction of the first floor. The Community Building has also begun. Fortunately, the parking lot was blacktopped before the heavy rains hit, and at least the roadways are not too muddy.  |
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| November 13 | The vinyl siding and exterior window trim are being completed on buildings 1 and 2, and insulation is also being blown into both buildings. Also in building 1, beautiful wood cabinetry is being installed in the spacious kitchens (photo left), as well as the bathrooms and hallways, creating ample storage in all three areas. Bedrooms are also fitted with shelving units (photo right). Painting is being completed in the apartments and the hallways. |
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| November 6 |  In building #1, painters are finishing up, while trim and cabinetry are being installed, and soon flooring will begin. In building #2, drywall and painting are being done. Insulation was being delivered for building #3 today (photo, left). Shingling was completed on building #4, while building #5 has its sheathing prepared to begin shingling. Behind buildings 4 and 5, panelized walls are neatly stacked, awaiting installation (photo, right) on the newly completed foundations for buildings 6 and 7. Gas mains have been connected, and individual buildings are being brought online. The large parking lot is being prepared for blacktop this week, which will nearly complete paving work this year. Remaining roads will be completed in the spring. Work on the community center for University Village will begin this week with digging for the foundations. |
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| October 30 |  Vinyl siding can be seen on building one now, above the first-floor brick. Brickwork is complete on buildings one and two, and is currently underway on building three (left photo). Shingling is beginning on building four, while building five has its second story complete, and roof joists are being installed (right photo). Concrete foundations are nearly ready for the first floors on buildings six and seven, while the concrete pump was there today, finishing up the foundation on building eight. The City of East Lansing was there today doing water testing through the fire hydrants. Workmen explained that they flush the hydrants thoroughly, and then draw samples for E-coli and other bacteria, which are taken to a local lab for analysis. The water system at University Village must pass two such tests before the City will hook up to it and be responsible for the water quality. |
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| October 20 |  Exterior finishes continue to progress, with brick on buildings one, two and three (pictured). Vinyl siding is currently being installed on building one, and drywall work (pictured) is moving along nicely. A milestone was reached with electricity now providing lighting and heat in building one. For months, generators supplied all needed power. Building three is being roofed and having its brickwork completed; building four received its second story, and work is progressing on the first level of building five. Recent rains have prevented some progress on buildings six through eight. Work is being done on the parking lot, which will be completed in the spring, and if weather permits, most of the asphalt will be poured on the streets before winter sets in. |
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| October 9 |  More curb and gutter is being poured (above left), which helps define where streets and parking areas will soon exist. Drywall work is nearly complete in building one. Next week, joints will be taped and stippled ceilings will be done. Shingling is nearly complete on building two, as is the exterior brick facing around the first floor (above right). Building three now has its roof, and building four now has its first floor walls in place. The slab is complete on building five, and buildings six through eight are in various stages of foundation work. Asphalt is scheduled to be poured as soon as weather permits, so let's hope for not too much rain and snow in the next couple of weeks. Before too long, work on the new community center is scheduled to begin as well. |
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| October 3 |  A lot of progress can be seen on the outside of buildings 1-4. Buildings 1 and 2 now have brick facings on the first level (left photo above); building three is now having its roof joists placed, and the first floor outside walls have been put into place on building four. Buildings 5-8 are in the final phases of foundation preparation. Despite a lot of recent rains, the roadways through University Village are draining well, thanks to the storm drains and curb and gutter now in place (right photo above). The photo shows the new main entrance into University Village from Kalamazoo St. Within the next week or two, the first asphalt roadways will be poured, which will make things a lot less muddy there. Finally, the new Community Building is being planned for the complex, and the first floor plans are now on site. |
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| September 25 |  Recent rains have made quite a muddy mess, but work is progressing steadily. The first photo shows scaffolding beginning to be erected next to building #1 for the installation of exterior brick. Windows are going into Building #2, and shingles are going up on the roof. Building #3 has the second floor nearly completed. Interior work continues on Building #1 and #2. Roads are still scheduled for next month. |
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| September 18 |  Insulation and drywall are being installed in building #1. Four apartments will be on each floor, with four students in each. Each apartment has four bedrooms, two baths and a common living and kitchen area. Building #2 is remarkable for its large circular window above the third floor on the east side. Despite recent rains causing scheduling problems, curbing and gutters are scheduled to be installed soon, and the roads in the complex are beginning to take shape.  |
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| September 11 |  In Building #1, drywall is due to be installed shortly, and other interior work is also beginning. Building #2 now has the third floor walls up, and the roof will go up soon. Building #3 now has the second floor walls up. Recent rains have caused problems, especially with beginning to build roads in the complex, but work is continuing as much as possible. |
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| August 28 | The exterior of Building #1 is nearly complete, with most windows in and the roof shingled. Once doors are installed, and exterior finishes applied, finishing work on the interior can begin. The second floor has been built on Building #2, and first floor walls have been constructed on Building #3. The recent rains caused some problems, especially in the footing trenches for Building #8. Water had to be pumped out, and the remaining silt also had to be removed before work could continue. Later this week, water mains will be treated with a new technique. A resin-saturated felt tube will be placed in the pipes, and hot water and steam will unroll it inside, reinforcing and strengthening the pipes. | |||
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| August 21 |  All eight buildings are now underway. Building #1 now has most of its windows, and the shingles are going on the roof. The first floor is nearly complete on building #2, while framing will begin shortly on building #3. Buildings 4-8 are in various stages of concrete work, with some just beginning to have footings poured. Within the next couple of months, we will see roads, but sidewalks will probably not be poured until spring. |
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| August 14 |  The roof is being completed on building #1, and windows are beginning to be installed. The first floor walls are nearly complete on building #2, and the concrete floor is completed on building #3. Work is continuing on the foundations for buildings 4-7. The water mains were connected across Kalamazoo St. last week, and some other utilities for the new buildings are now available as well. |
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| August 7 |  Building #1 now has all floors constructed, as well as the roof. Shingling will begin this week, and windows will be coming soon after. Building #2 has most of the first floor constructed, and Building #3, across the Kalamazoo St. entrance from #2, now has its concrete floor completed. Buildings 3-7 are all in various stages of foundation construction. Digging for the final building, #8, will begin shortly. Last week's rains caused a few water problems, but pumps are being used to remove the water from the trenches so concrete work can continue. All old buildings have now been removed east of Marigold. By the end of this week, the one remaining building west of Marigold will also be gone. Water mains will be connected across Kalamazoo St. this week as well, necessitating a temporary closure of Kalamazoo St., planned for Tuesday. |
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July 24 |
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July 13 |
 First-floor walls have been erected on building #1. This is a three-story building, so floor joists are going in above the first floor, in preparation for the next level. Utilities are scheduled for installation shortly. Building #2 is being prepared for utilities and construction of panelized walls. Buildings 3 and 4 are in earlier stages of construction. So far, seven buildings have been demolished, with eleven more to go by the end of August.  |
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June 26 |
 Building #1 is nearly ready for the panelized walls to be set in place. This will happen shortly after the 4th of July holiday. Presently, they are backfilling around the poured foundation. Building #2, closest to the Kalamazoo St. entrance, is being prepared for the foundation. Digging for foundations Buildings 3 and 4, on the other side of the Kalamazoo St. entrance, are still having their foundations dug. One building was nearly down today. There will eventually be eight buildings - three will be three-story, and five will be two-story.  |
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| June 19 | Every couple of days, another building is being taken down. The beginnings of the new buildings are also starting to take shape. Forms are being placed, and walls will begin to be erected the first week of July. A shredder is seen in the photos, which is part of a much larger recycling program being implemented with all construction projects. An article is coming soon regarding the comprehensive recycling program.  |
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| June
12 |
 Several buildings on the east end of the complex have been demolished, and most of the debris has been hauled away. Other nearby buildings are ready for demolition, which will take place shortly. Trees are being moved or protected whenever possible, as you can see by the tall white fences placed around them. Several areas are being prepared for foundation work.  |
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| June 1 | Demolition has begun at University Village. The first buildings have been taken down and site work has been started. Soil testing is being conducted to see if it can be reused When completed, the site will have added over half of the green space back to the campus! |
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Division of Residential and Hospitality Services | Michigan State University © 2009 - All Rights Reserved |
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The new University Village complex is the first student housing built at MSU since Holden Hall in 1967. A new, innovative concept in student housing replaced the old University Village apartment complex, which was built in the early 1950s. New buildings, designed to service MSU for thirty years, replaced the old as they were designed to last for twenty years and lasted for fifty.
With the sign-up event just around the corner (Jan. 20 & 21), final preparations are being made to have a model apartment or two completely finished, cleaned and furnished so students can do a walk-through. As in Snyder/Phillips, the attention to detail has created a beautiful, smartly designed, functional space that students will find very appealing. An intercom system (photo, right) will provide an added measure of security for residents, while ceiling fans and programmable thermostats (photo below, left) make these units more energy efficient. Speaking of efficiency and smart design, the chest of drawers furnished for each resident makes wise use of space, either fitting neatly under the bed or, if the resident prefers, it fully utilizes the small alcove directly under the window (photo below, right).
