ITTC, Redecker Center projects continue, Campanile construction and more to begin

From the ITTC to the Applied Engineering Building, construction and maintenance projects are in full swing all across campus. 

Michael Zwanziger, Assistant Vice President and Director of Facilities Management notes, “There is a lot of square footage on campus, so there is a lot of maintenance that is needed to keep it up. One of the biggest things we look at for projects is safety. If something is in an unsafe condition we really prioritize that.”

Summer 2022 Projects

Numerous construction and maintenance projects took place over the summer. The football team room was completed, allowing for 108 people to gather. Practice fields near the Wellness and Recreation Center have also been completed. 

Construction near Redeker was also worked on, and Zwanziger notes the concrete work should be done sometime this week and will be opened back up to students as soon as possible.

Noehren Hall’s renovations have been largely finished, with just the student lounge left to be completed. 

“One of the challenges we’ve been having since COVID started is material delivery, wait times in getting certain pieces of equipment and staffing shortages,” Zwanziger said. “Just trying to get bodies on a project can be a challenge.”

Despite these challenges, the Noehren lounge should be done sometime this fall and the parking lot will open up where construction materials currently sit.

A screen wall on the north side of Maucker Union was also redone this summer, as well as some maintenance to Lang Hall’s brick to keep water from leaking in.

Many students have noted the new pavers laid in parts of central campus, replacing chipped and damaged bricks.

“The deterioration from snow removal causes damage [to pavers and sidewalks], but we still have work to do and are planning on doing more work next year,” Zwanziger said. “There was a significant expenditure on improving the brick this past year. It does look a lot better, and we found a better brick we believe will hold up better.”

Improving sidewalks and accessibility for students has been a priority for the maintenance department this year. Working with Student Accessibility Services and the Dean of Students Offices, they created a priority route to maintain sidewalks and keep them as clear as possible.

The Honors Program and Alumni call center was also relocated this summer to Bartlett Hall from the Honors Cottage and Alumni House.

“[The Honors Program]  has a much better programming space than they had,” Zwanziger said. “It’s an accessible facility and really neat.”

Currently there are no plans for the Honors Cottage, Alumni House or Campbell Hall.

Construction on the Strayer-Wood loop drive was also started, and is expected to be completed sometime this fall. Various other infrastructure projects were also finished during the summer in Rod Library and other facilities.

Additionally UNI is working with Cedar Falls with construction on 27th Street from Hudson towards the new Cedar Falls High School. The city also plans on extending the turning lanes on Hudson Road. 

Roofs

Another big area of maintenance around campus is fixing leaky or structurally unsound roofs. 

The Nielsen Field House, Roth, Wellness and Recreation Center, the UNI-Dome and the ITTC will all have maintenance to their roofs due to wind damage or necessary repairs. The UNI-Dome roof will bid this winter and be replaced next summer. The fabric roof is original to the 1998 renovations of the Dome, and is exceeding its 20-year lifespan which is resulting in some water infiltration.

The ITTC is also getting a major renovation to its roof as there was water infiltration in the building and the tile roof was too heavy for the building to hold. Zwanziger notes the project is quite extensive, but much needed. The current aim for completion of this project is in August 2023.

Future Projects

One of the main projects currently taking place on the south side of campus is the modernization of the Applied Engineering Building. Expected to be completed in 2024, the $45 million project will add to the current facility and ensure student work is at the forefront of the facility. UNI is hopeful this new building will facilitate greater opportunities for students pursuing this field of study.

Another large project, beginning this fall, is the renovation of UNI’s campanile. Nine bells will be added to the campanile, and seven will be cast during Homecoming this year. The company who will be casting the new bells has been working on the campanile bells since 1927. Zwanziger notes Homecoming will be the last time the carillon will be played for about a year while they remove all the bells and refurbish the bells, equipment, instrument and structure the bells sit on. The second phase of this project is to redo the landscaping around the campanile next summer. Trees west of the campanile in poor condition have already been removed.

Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center will also be receiving some improvements this year and next summer.

“We have under contract right now that over winter break new seating on the orchestra level will be installed, and we are looking to take to the Board of Regents a schematic design to add to the southeast section to add restrooms, a marquee lounge and a donor lounge to have some spectator amenities that were originally cut out of the project,” Zwanziger said.