MASTER PLAN
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By Christine Hanson McKnight Western Avenue Move: Construction work on the second floors of 1215 Western Ave. and 2 University Place is expected to be completed by April 7. Renovations on other floors will be completed on a weekly basis after that date. An estimated 300 employees will move in late April, May and June. Packing boxes for those affected by the move are available in AD 267. (See Nancy Wilson in AD 341 for the key to AD 267.) A mockup of the interiors of the two buildings is also available in AD 341. For complete details on the move, go to http://chef/fab.albany.edu/move. Life Sciences Building: Review teams are now studying final architectural plans for this 160,000-square foot project. The University expects to receive bids this summer, with construction to begin by fall. Fine Arts Sculpture Studio: The contractor was scheduled to begin clearing the site area and preparing it for construction this week. Some trees will be moved. The $4.15 million project is on the east side of campus. (See the Feb. 2, 2000 issue of Update.) Hammerthrow Restoration: The hammerthrow area, previously located on the southeastern edge of campus, will be temporarily relocated to an area directly southeast of the University’s athletic fields. A permanent installation in the same area is expected to be in place by the fall. Rockefeller College Storm Drains and Sewers: James H. Maloy Inc. of Albany is general contractor for this project, which will involve major excavations on the Western Avenue side of Milne and Page halls all summer and on the Washington Avenue side of Milne Hall at the end of March. The work will separate storm and sanitary sewer water as it leaves the buildings. The current system is outdated. |
Thanks to careful and extensive preparations, the University’s computing systems made a smooth transition to the year 2000 and have passed another hurdle, February 29, with success.
“Our success is the result of the hard work and dedication of more than 200 University employees over the last couple of years. We thank all who made sure our systems were ready, first, for the New Year and then for the additional day in this leap year,” said Interim Vice President for Finance and Business Paul Stec.
While a few minor glitches did emerge, University staff quickly made necessary programming changes, noted Stec, who chaired the University’s Y2K Task Force. The task force brought together staff from all University areas to review systems and track progress toward Y2K readiness and to prepare contingency plans.
By Carol Olechowski
UAlbany administrators responded swiftly when three
University food service outlets on the Uptown Campus and Alumni Quadrangle
were cited for health code violations.
“We’re inspected regularly and routinely by the
Albany County Health Department, as is every other food vendor in the county,”
said Julia Filippone, executive director of University Auxiliary Services.
“Seven of the ten [University sites] passed inspection the first time this
semester. The three that did not - the Campus Center cafeteria kitchen,
State Quad, and Alden Waterbury - were initially rated ‘unsatisfactory'
but brought into compliance very quickly.”
All ten locations now comply with the health code.
“Food out of temperature was discarded immediately. Storage areas that
weren’t cleaned adequately were re-cleaned immediately. In addition,
the UAS board of directors passed a budget that includes a $500,000 allocation
for replacement of aging equipment, such as steamers, griddles, and mixers,”
Filippone commented.
The Office of Facilities Management and Physical
Plant has also been doing its part. As students left for spring break,
Scott Richards and about 20 other plant staff began a 60- to 70-hour workweek
in the Campus Center and State Quad, painting and doing repairs to metalwork
and masonry.
Explained Richards, the assistant director for physical
plant: “We’re doing a full range of comprehensive repairs to the dining
halls. We’ve replaced floor and ceiling tiles, repaired holes in the walls
and replaced missing panels, and covered lighting fixtures. Pipe has been
covered with aluminum to make sure it's easy to clean. And we're getting
very aggressive with our pest control plan.”
In addition, “we’re refurbishing all the walk-in
cooler/freezer units in the Campus Center and State Quad, and installing
stainless steel wall bumpers on corners,” Richards said. “Also, we’re rodent-proofing
all dock areas with weather stripping and door repair.”
Richards expected the repairs and improvements to
State Quad and the Campus Center to be completed by the time students returned
to campus March 13. Similar work in other dining halls should be done by
the end of the semester - “and we hope much sooner than that,” he added.
Noted Vice President for Student Affairs James P.
Doellefeld: “The University is determined to provide this community a first-rate
food service. We are intent on achieving that objective. And we will.”