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Recap of several maintenance and construction projects this year

Allie Ray

Cones block off an area under construction on UT’s Stadium Drive.

Colleen Anderson, Co-News Editor

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From fixing potholes to water main breaks, the facilities and construction team has been busy this year keeping UT’s campus up and running.

Facilities and Construction worked on several major projects from July 2014 to June 2015, from making parking garage repairs to renovating the Larimer Athletic Center. Jason Toth, assistant vice president of facilities and construction, wrote in an email interview that the department’s biggest accomplishment this year was an efficient use of their resources.

“University Facilities is saddled with a very significant backlog of deferred maintenance,” Toth wrote. “We have wisely used limited capital resources to resolve a great deal of facilities maintenance items on campus.”

One of the biggest issues facilities faced this year were the water main breaks, which caused shut downs in Student Union eateries and heating problems in buildings. Toth wrote that the breaks are a result of older systems and cold weather, and that the problems faced by UT were experienced all over the City of Toledo.

“Many of the waterlines are significantly older. Unfortunately underground utilities are susceptible to failure. The freeze/thaw cycle every year is a major cause of these failures,” Toth wrote. “This is not something that we can anticipate but rather something that we need to address when it happens.”

To fix the leak in the water main break, facilities had to shut down the boiler plant in the basement of Savage Arena, which impacted several buildings on campus. Along with closing restaurants, the issue also caused a men’s basketball game to be cancelled and later rescheduled.

According to Toth, the UT Facilities team worked with staff, independent contractors and the City of Toledo Water department around the clock for more than three days to resolve the problem.

Other projects the facilities team worked on included adding underground steam and chilled water lines, which caused the temporary closing of Stadium Drive while they were being installed. While working on the steam lines, facilities faced complications which caused a sewer line failure that was later repaired.

The parking garages will also be closed this summer after graduation for repairs and will not open until classes begin in the fall.

Student Government Senator Robert Worthington said he has noticed more facilities work being done in the past few years.

“I can say I’ve noticed more, especially from my time in Student Government. I’ve noticed we’ve actually tried to get things done,” Worthington said. “For the most part, I think they do a good job.”

The SG Campus Affairs committee also worked with Director of Grounds and Offsite Facilities Doug Collins to make improvements to UT’s campus. Some of these projects included:

  • planned the installation of a sidewalk from President’s Hall to Lot 25 this summer
  • looked at putting in an exercise station along the bike path, although it is not yet funded
  • eliminated “low spots,” especially near the West Parking Ramp
  • adjusted snow removal procedures
  • looked at updating or adding additional exterior lighting
  • discussed possibility of adding branding for ‘Rockets’ along Stadium Drive.
  • fixed low spot in McComas Village that flooded

Two potential projects that were ultimately unsuccessful were the proposed adding of a crosswalk behind President’s Hall leading to the village, and the renovation of the “steps” on the side of Parks Tower.

The idea of a crosswalk behind President’s Hall was shot down by the railroad company that UT works with due to legal issues. Currently, there is a dirt and mulch path there for student use.

As for the renovation of the steps, Collins said they were never meant to be a working staircase at all. The “steps” are actually landscape fixtures that were meant to help with erosion control, and were not added for the students’ use. The grounds team plans on adding plants to the fixtures to keep students from using them next year, as the cost of adding an actual set of steps isn’t in the budget.

Collins said working with the SG members has helped him gain a better perspective on what students see day-to-day and he feels the communication between the facilities team and the students has been very beneficial.

“Actually, it’s been very helpful just to see the eyes of what the students are seeing. You know, we’ve walked the path that traditionally people go back and forth to class,” Collins said.

Many of the projects completed this year were a result of ‘Walks with Doug,’ when members of Campus Affairs would walk commonly traveled paths around campus with Collins. Maria Antonescu, the SG campus affairs chair, took the lead in the project, and Collins commended her for her dedication to the project.

Facilities is already looking ahead for future projects. Several items are already on the agenda for next year, according to Toth. Several of the planned projects include campus energy reduction, performing maintenance on campus infrastructure and upgrading mechanical systems and elevators. The University Computer Center, the Ingman Room in the Student Union and several other buildings will be undergoing renovations.

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