By Susan Tallant/editor-in-chief

Watch your step! Campus improvements are underway for all four campuses and will continue through next year. A general note of caution is warranted around construction sites and equipment.

“ All students, faculty and staff should avoid the construction sites when and where possible,” John Dawson, TCC’s director of facilities planning, said. “Although the construction sites are clearly marked with construction barriers, special attention should be given around these areas. ”

The areas surrounding construction equipment operations should also be avoided.

“ Students should use caution and exercise additional attention to avoid potential blind spots of the equipment operations, ” he said.

Dawson said since so many projects are taking place simultaneously on the various campuses, some blocking off of routine travel routes and/or parking areas, detours of traffic and even potential disruption of utility services will occur.

“ Bear with the construction inconvenience,” he said. “It will be worth it in the long run. ”

Here, Dawson gives a status on construction projects by campus:

DISTRICTWIDE

Three major construction efforts involving all four campuses include improving exterior lighting, replacing signage and wayfinding and improving traffic and parking.

All of the lighting for the loop roads and parking areas, as well as the interior campus areas, will be replaced and the overall lighting levels increased for all campuses.

The lighting project will be coordinated with new signage and wayfinding, which will add additional lighting to building and directional signs.

Also, the addition of directional marquees located at four major points on each campus will provide a campus map for easy navigation.

Design for the signage and wayfinding have already started on NE Campus. The next campus on the schedule will be NW followed by South, then SE.

Work on all campuses for lighting, signage and wayfinding is expected to be complete by September2008.

SOUTH CAMPUS

For those who haven’t noticed, there is a new bookstore in town. The renovated Bookstore, open just in time for the fall semester, includes remodeling 11,000 square feet of the existing Bookstore to include new interior finishes, lighting and mechanical upgrades.

Also new in the Bookstore is a cyber café, with new furniture on order. The setting will encourage students to interact with other students or just unwind after a busy day. The café is scheduled to open soon.

Under construction in the lower level of the Learning Resource Center is the remodeling of more than 19,000 square feet of building space and a new entrance with an elevator. This recaptures the open space in the center courtyard to create a new computer lab. The project, which began in May should be complete by December.

Another finished project, the main waterline for the campus, replaced the complete water supply line for the campus buildings.

The next project will be a new entrance road located just north of the existing entrance. Construction begins this fall and is expected to be complete by the spring semester.

Other projects in the works are the renovation of the academic buildings, relocation of the existing jogging trail and construction of a retention pond for storm water management.

NE CAMPUS

As mentioned above, this campus is the first for lighting upgrades and new signage and wayfinding implementation. In addition, the theater has been renovated, and the project for the swimming pool, expected to be complete by the end of September, is currently under construction.

The loop road relocation project is awarded and will relieve some of the peak traffic congestion when complete. The project design was approved Friday, so construction should begin soon and finish by December.

Other projects include the renovation of the Business Building and the relocation of the academic computing functions.

NW CAMPUS

This campus is renovating the counseling, testing and science areas. This project, to be accomplished in phases, includes approximately 52,000 square feet and adds new labs, counseling center and classrooms, as well as associated academic support space.

The first phase, expected to be complete by December, will include new interior finishes, new lighting, mechanical upgrades, two new lab spaces and a new elevator
In addition, the design of the new access road from Interstate Loop 820 is nearing completion. This road will provide another entrance and exit onto the I-820W service road relieving some of the congestion from the current entrance off Marine Creek Parkway.

SE CAMPUS

This campus has a new interior look for the new semester.

Flooring installation is replacing worn carpet in the common areas, and the design of the new addition continues.

The new wing will add approximately 100,000 square feet of space on the campus’ southeast side in addition to renovating approximately 14,000 square feet in the existing building. This should provide for more than 40 new and renovated educational spaces to include classrooms, labs and associated support spaces.

Also under design, the revamping of the main entrance off of Southeast Parkway will include dedicated turn lanes to improve the vehicular cueing into the campus and relieve some of the congestion at the main entrance.