UPD Headquarters: Construction of the new University Police Department headquarters on the east side of campus is now about 70 percent complete, with a takeover of the communications system scheduled for later this month. The $2.6 million project is scheduled to be completed in June. The contractor is now painting inside and will soon install ceilings, followed by floors. Painting will be finished in March and April. Seeding, topsoil and landscape work will occur later this spring for the one-story, 10,000-square-foot building. Furniture, fixtures and equipment have been ordered. 

    Fine Arts Sculpture Studio: The construction contract for the project has been awarded to David Christopher of Clifton Park, who submitted a low bid of $4.155 million. The University expects to break ground on the one-story, 20,000-square-foot project this spring.

    Administration Building Conversion: The contractor for this $6.42 million project, which will convert the Administration Building into academic space, is MLB Industries of Latham. Current occupants are scheduled to be moved out by no later than June 15, with MLB to begin work by July 1. The parking lot directly north of the Administration Building will be taken out of service and designated for use by MLB. 

    Transformer Project: The University is in the process of replacing PCB-contaminated power transformers, as well as 30-year-old switchboards and primary switches in buildings on both the uptown and downtown campus. The contractor for the $4.6 million project, Mohawk Valley of Schenectady, completed most of the work on the downtown campus last fall. This major project is expected to continue through next summer on the main campus. Each building has its own set of transformers, which manage the distribution of power within the building.

    Western Avenue Utilities Spine: The University is installing a utilities “spine” - essentially an underground duct system which serves as a pathway for telecommunications infrastructure - to connect the main campus to buildings at 2 University Place and 1215 Western Ave., as well as the new public safety building, and, eventually, the planned Fine Arts Sculpture Studio. The spine runs eastward from Indian Quad past the public safety building to just east of Perimeter Road. At that point, the fiber optic and copper cables run south to 2 University Place.