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Saint Mary’s University, Winona State University and Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical all began construction projects when their campuses emptied in May.
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Sprinturf workers Eric Toepfer, left, and Matt Jacobson, both from Oklahoma, lay strips of glue paper down in between two sections of artificial turf Wednesday at Saint Mary's University. The turf will become a new soccer field, which is part of a track and field complex built this summer at the university. (photo by Katie Derus/Winona Daily News) |
Students can expect to see anything from a new puddle-less parking lot to the beginnings of an innovative science building when they return to campus next month.
Chris Kendall, vice president for student development at Saint Mary’s University, said students will notice a big difference.
“When students pull in the main entrance, they’ll notice a dramatic change,” he said. “The front porch has changed considerably.”
About $2.8 million went into SMU’s new track and field/soccer complex, and the baseball and softball fields constructed last summer have mature grass and are now ready to use.
New recreational opportunities accompany the new look of SMU’s campus, including a multi-purpose rec center and continued maintenance of The Woods, the campus’s disc golf course.
Later this year, Kendall hopes construction will be completed on a high-ropes course near the trailhead for the cross country skiing and hiking trails. The university bought mountain bikes, kayaks and cross country ski equipment to tie into the outdoor atmosphere, and it may buy an artificial snow machine this winter.
The school is also considering building a new science building or renovating its existing one. It may also build a new residence hall, since 120 more students will live on campus this year than in any previous year.
Winona State officials have also explored a new residence hall by 2010, but for now remain focused on the sustainability of the campus.
“We would like to be known as a good steward of the environment,” said Kurt Lohide, vice president of finance and administrative services. “We want to be a signature institution in southeastern Minnesota.”
The upfront cost of sustainability may be hefty, but it saves money and energy in the long run, Lohide said.
A lot purchased by Winona State earlier this year is being turned into one of the first pervious pavement parking lots in southeast Minnesota. Rain water soaks through the pavement, rather than running off to a drain. The pervious pavement is made of smaller rocks and three-fifths pea gravel with very little sand, to allow air voids, according to Mike Kohner of Modern Ready Mix. Under the pavement, a layer of aggregate, in this case landscaping rocks, goes over a filter layer, to allow the water to enter the ground.
The lot, located across from the Tau Center, will be the only lot to use this pavement, but after seeing how it does over the winter, similar lots may be installed, said facilities coordinator Steve Ronkowski.
All other under-construction parking lots, as well as the pervious paved lot, will be done by the start of the semester on Aug. 25.
To help battle rising energy costs, an extended entrance on the east side of Kryzsko Commons will prevent wind and cold from entering the building, Ronkowski said.
Also new is the “one-stop shop” in Maxwell Hall, a renovated office area housing advising, retention, the registrar and other administrative programs. The whole project should be completed by the end of August.
Maxwell is the former home of the university’s fitness center, and the university will break ground for the new integrated wellness center in the fall. In preparation, the counseling center and phone-a-thon have moved to Wabasha Hall, the temporary home of the fitness center, to make the eventual joint move to the completed wellness center easier.
At. Southeast Tech, the welding program has returned to the airport location of the college, joining the drafting, machine tool and dye and carpentry programs. Also on the list of changes at the main campus location are updated “smart classrooms,” which integrate video and audio for lectures.
The classrooms in the technical and trade area have been updated, as well.
“It’s a major renovation,” said Peggy Whalen, director of marketing at Southeast Tech. “We’re talking new walls, new tile floor, new everything.”
