Campus Construction: Underground Utilities Project

Beginning Monday, May 14, Buffalo State will begin a roster of summer construction projects, primarily renovation of utilities that run near and underneath Rockwell Quad.

Contractors will be digging 20 feet underground to replace the gas, steam, water, storm water, electrical, and sanitary sewer utilities. Crews will begin staging the quad’s grassy area on Monday, May 14, and pedestrians heading to Rockwell, Ketchum, and Bacon halls, the Donald Savage Theater and Communication Building, and Campus House will be rerouted at various times during the duration of the project, which is expected to last until December 2013. Crews may work through the 2012–2013 winter months, depending upon the weather.

“By the week of May 28, work causing noise and disruption will be well under way,” said Robert Yankelunas, construction site representative.

A few building entrances may become temporarily inaccessible. Campus House will be offline for about one week at some point during the summer, according to Yankelunas. Also, Rockwell, Ketchum, and Bacon halls will experience temporary water shutdowns.

“This project is going to be large and long term,” said Voldemar Innus, interim vice president for finance and management. “We appreciate the patience and understanding of the campus community as we undertake these infrastructure improvements, which are necessary but disruptive.”

This includes being alert to occasional changes while driving into the campus. Iroquois Drive will be reduced to one lane throughout the week of May 14 and intermittently throughout the construction period, as it will be used to transport the construction equipment. No traffic will be allowed on the eastern portion of Iroquois Drive from 6:00 a.m. Friday, May 18, through 6:00 p.m. Sunday, May 20, and there will be no access to Parking Lot X or Campus House parking during these days.

Parking Lot B also will close Monday, May 21, and will not reopen until early July.

“We ask the Buffalo State community to please keep an eye on announcements and plan accordingly to access the parking lots and to move around the campus differently,” Innus said.

For further information about current and upcoming construction projects, go to www.buffalostate.edu/construction.