The Traveler

Issue date: 4/27/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Larry Ash Construction continues at the site of the new Garland Avenue Parking Deck on campus between Cleveland Street and Douglas Street.

The UA Construction Department has more than $250 million worth of projects on its current budget.

"I'm proud to announce 2008 Senior Walk was finished (Friday)," said Robert Beeler, director of design and construction services at the UA. The portion of the Senior Walk, which is located by the Greek Theatre, cost about $1 million and contains 3,000 names.

"In between classes, I've noticed they were working on the Senior Walk," said Kathleen Case, a junior psychology major. "Now that it's done, it looks great."

This summer, construction services will be busy improving the UA campus.

One major project to be completed this summer is the installment of Arkansas Research and Education Optical Network fiber optics all over campus. This is ultra high-speed Internet, which allows for information that requires more bandwidth.

"It's really exciting," Beeler said. "This is something that's being done all over Arkansas."

The cost of the project is about $9 million.

Brough Commons also will be remodeled. The $900,000 project will include the remodeling of part of the dining hall.

"Students will be able to watch where food is made," Beeler said.

 Also this summer, the Fine Arts Building will have improvements made to make the concert hall, the theater and the gallery more comfortable and safe, Beeler said. The renovation will cost almost $2 million.

Pomfret Honors Quarters will eventually undergo remodeling that is estimated to cost about $40 million. During the summer, the construction department will be in intense planning.

"We will be working with an architect and contracting team," Beeler said. "There is going to be a full re-haul. We are going to take it apart and put it back together."

There also is $1 million on the construction budget devoted to replacing the real grass on the football stadium with artificial turf.

"It's really nice turf," Beeler said.

Peabody Hall is scheduled for $8 million worth of work on the exterior and interior of the building.

"We're planning to redo the outside," Beeler said. "We're going to remove the old paint to expose the red brick underneath."

Continued...

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