The start of fall semester brings in new students, faculty and staff as well as some new looks and amenities around campus. From finished projects to work on current construction, crews have been busy all over campus.
Last month, the renovation of Brown Hall on the Health Sciences Campus was completed, and the existing building now will be used as a residence hall. A new Rutherford Hall has an additional 80,000 square feet and space for about 100 more students than the old structure.
Also this summer, the 217 Kenny Road Housing Unit, previously the community center for the Navy Supply Corps School, was renovated and made into housing for those with disabilities.
To help provide meals to those on the Health Sciences Campus, Scott Hall was renovated to become the Niche, a 100-seat dining facility with a student lounge, meeting rooms and student service area.
Workers made improvements to the field at Sanford Stadium in June, and the facility’s future water consumption will be reduced as a result.
The College of Engineering will be able to use its newly completed structural testing STRENGTH Laboratory this fall. The lab has 26-foot walls that are 6 feet thick.
Despite all the work this summer, some construction remains underway. The replacement for the Bolton Dining Commons is being built now, and the project is scheduled for completion prior to fall of next year.
Currently ongoing are the renovations to Caldwell Hall’s fifth and sixth floors. The work began this summer and will progress through November.
Another project underway is the construction of four new cabins at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton. Two cabins were completed over the summer.
A new office building is being constructed for the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the intersection of South Milledge Avenue and Whitehall Road. The project will be finished later this month. Also this month, the project to build the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ Turfgrass Research Center will begin. The 4,000-square-foot, pre-engineered metal building will be located on South Milledge Avenue and will serve as the maintenance and storage facility for turf grass research. Steel erection will start at the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Learning Center on College Station Road as well.
In non-construction news, the night service bus route between the Health Sciences Campus and the UGA main campus has been extended to 1 a.m. The Weekender service also has been extended to the Health Sciences Campus.
“With full-time residents now, and since the Health Sciences Campus will play such a positive role in the university’s growth going forward, Campus Transit is excited to be able to provide extended service between the campuses,” said Ron Hamlin, manager of the Campus Transit System.
Campus Transit is working with RouteShout to deliver real-time bus departure information. The information is accessible via a mobile device with the RouteShout application or mobile website.
Another change in campus transportation is that residents of the Health Sciences Campus must now register and apply for a parking permit if they are planning on parking a vehicle on the Health Sciences Campus.
This summer, Parking Services employees completed more than 700 projects across campus. These projects included painting, pressure washing, lot striping, new signage, window washing, mechanical repairs and new curbing.
“We never rest on our laurels,” said Don Walter, manager of Parking Services. “We are committed to continuous improvement to make the parking experience better for our campus community.”
At the Ramsey Center, there will be 12 new cardio equipment pieces, as well as some new fitness and wellness programs. Tai chi will be offered as a new instructional sport class, and karate fitness and Body Combat© will be new on the all-access group fitness schedule.
Battle ship, a game played in canoes in the pool, will be a new intramural sport. Gymnastics will be a club sport this fall. This fall, Outdoor Recreation will offer a hammock camping clinic, camping and apple picking in Ellijay and rock climbing at Mt. Yonah. Information is available at www.recsports.uga.edu.