SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Cranes whir. Trucks beep as they head in reverse. Construction workers bark out orders as they hustle to and fro across wooden platforms.
These are all sights and sounds that have become common to see and hear on the Syracuse University campus over the past few weeks as spring weather rolls into Central New York and makes conditions ideal for multiple construction projects in the University area.
Large-scale construction of a pair of new buildings, the National Veterans Resource Center (NVRC) on Waverly Avenue and The Barnes Center at The Arch just off of Forestry Drive, has been especially benefited by the newfound warm weather.
“Concrete needs certain temperatures to cure properly,” University Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala said at a news conference on Thursday. “So it [the warm weather] was important for us. Fortunately in The Arch, the weather has turned at the perfect time.”
Sala said that the second third of the concrete needed for the floors in Building C of The Barnes Center at The Arch was poured on Thursday afternoon. He added that the cold weather wasn’t as much of a problem for the NVRC because his staff was able to turn the steam on at the building in the early part of December, allowing work to happen in the basement of the building in spite of the bitter temperatures.
The NVRC is scheduled to be completed in January of 2020 and when the building is finished, Sala thinks it could be a shining star in Syracuse’s campus framework.
“It will be one of the most, if not the most compliant [with the Americans With Disabilities Act] and accessible building in the United States and definitely on our campus,” Sala said.
The Barnes Center is expected to be finished even sooner than the NVRC with Sala’s estimation placing its opening in September of 2019.
“It’s a long time coming,” Sala said. “To not have air conditioning in your primary workout facility is challenging for everyone on campus. Now that’ll be fully air conditioned 12 months a year and it will just be a great facility.”
Other projects that Sala provided an update for during the news conference included renovations to the Carrier Dome, with an emphasis on updates that Sala’s team hopes will enhance the fan experience at Syracuse University sporting events. A new roof for the venue as well as new LED lighting, a new scoreboard and an improved sound system are expected to be in place by the fall of 2020. An air conditioning system is reportedly scheduled for a Fall 2022 arrival.
Further updates to construction projects on the Syracuse University campus can be found on the University’s Campus Framework website.
