Good morning,
The Oberlin College drive toward a carbon neutral campus continues to progress as we prepare for the completion of this summer’s construction. The Rice-King parking lot has been restored and turned back over to the College. Restoration activities continue in Wilder Bowl, and pipe installation on South Campus is continuing. Building conversions on South Campus are progressing toward substantial completion and the team is beginning to startup and commission the new building systems. Central plant work is progressing, with equipment, steel, and pipe installation going well, and we have also begun digging at the Central Service Building east parking lot to install the final pipe connection to the plant.
Hardscape and landscape restoration should be completed in the Wilder Bowl next week. Sidewalks and other hard surface features are getting restored, with final seeding and tree plantings occurring when temperatures begin to cool, expected to occur in September.
While construction continues on South Campus, we are also progressing our design and planning for next year’s work. Our construction team is continuing field investigation of underground utilities on North Campus. This investigation, otherwise known as “potholing” involves isolated digging of small holes to locate exact depth and location of other underground utilities. Once utilities are identified and recorded, the holes are filled and ground is restored. This work will continue into next week.
As always, please be aware that heavy equipment is active and on campus throughout the day. Safety is our highest priority, and we ask for your help to ensure everyone is paying attention and alert while walking through campus. In addition, we want to remind people to allow some extra time to navigate the impacted areas of campus, particularly those buildings in and around Wilder Bowl and near the intersection of College and Professor Streets.
To assist with navigating activity, wayfinding maps are updated on the Activity Page by 5:00 PM on Friday.
Week of August 30th
Road Closures
- Elm Street will be restored and repaved.
- After Elm Street is restored, Professor Street will be closed between Elm Street and College Street. Closure is expected to start Wednesday, September 1st and last approximately eight days.
Signage and Fencing
- Pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle wayfinding signage installation and modification will continue to support the work as it progresses.
Site Prep and Staging
- Project materials will continue arriving on campus (pipe, materials, etc.) and will be installed in their final location or stored in the designated staging areas.
Abatement
- Some abatement work is planned in several of the South campus buildings.
Building Conversions and Improvements
- Building modernization activities are continuing in South Hall, Baldwin, Harvey Kade Price, Conservatory Warner Central, Robertson, Bibbins, and Conservatory Library. Work will also continue in First United Methodist Church, Lewis House, Lewis Center, Lord-Saunders, Allencroft, Harkness Hall, Julia Severance Art Studio, and Fairchild House.
Distribution Pipe Installation and Plant Conversion
- Wilder Bowl restoration will continue.
- Pipe installation on South Campus will progress, including connection to South Hall, the Conservatory-Robertson, connection to Baldwin and Harvey Kade Price, Harkness and Talcott, the east-west run on the south side of College Street, and the north-south pipe run along South Professor Street.
- Work continues in the Central Services Building to prepare for the new carbon-free heating and cooling system.
Week of September 6th
Road Closures
- South Professor Street should be reopened toward the end of this week.
Signage and Fencing
- Pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle wayfinding signage installation and modification will continue to support the work as it progresses.
Site Prep and Staging
- Project materials will continue arriving on campus (pipe, materials, etc.) and will be installed in their final location or stored in the designated staging areas.
Abatement
- Some abatement work is planned in several of the South campus buildings.
Building Conversions and Improvements
- Building modernization activities are continuing in South Hall, Baldwin, Harvey Kade Price, Conservatory Warner Central, Robertson, Bibbins, and Conservatory Library. Work will also continue in First United Methodist Church, Lewis House, Lewis Center, Lord-Saunders, Allencroft, Harkness Hall, Julia Severance Art Studio, and Fairchild House.
Distribution Pipe Installation and Plant Conversion
- Pipe installation on South Campus will progress, including connection to Bibbins Hall, which involves the closure of the sidewalk on the north side of Bibbins. Pipe installation will also continue for the connection to Baldwin and Harvey Kade Price, Harkness and Talcott, the east-west run on the south side of College Street, and the north-south pipe run along South Professor Street.
- Work continues in the Central Services Building to prepare for the new carbon-free heating and cooling system.
Parking (View Parking Map)
To accommodate staging and contractor parking for SIP and for Mudd renovation, changes to and alternative accommodations for faculty and staff are expected for the following lots:
- The Rice-King parking lot is restored for use by Oberlin College.
- The Service Building East lot is unavailable until October 1.
- Contractors will utilize marked parking spots in the Gray Gables parking lot through the duration of the project. There will be approximately 25 parking spaces available for staff and they will be marked accordingly.
As a reminder, Campus Safety has relaxed parking sticker lot designations for the summer in support of the SIP.
Also, please note all impacted faculty and staff are not limited to the designated alternative accommodations outlined here should another lot on campus better suit their schedule and campus pathway.
Other Work on Campus
Beyond the Sustainable Infrastructure Program, some other work activities on campus will have an impact on pedestrian and bike traffic. The Center for Engaged Liberal Arts (CELA) project continues in the Mudd building. This project involves a renovation of Mudd A-level into new student counseling, engagement and activity space. It involves a complete rebuild of the former Center for Information Technology spaces and lower courtyard enhancements to all direct access to CELA from the A-level courtyard. This work includes installation of a new concrete ADA ramp for the lower courtyard. Concrete is currently being removed from the plaza, and this concrete work will continue through the end of September. In support of this work, the sidewalk heading in the southwest direction from Mudd Library will be designated for equipment through the end of September and wayfinding signs will identify pathways for pedestrians and bikers to follow.
For questions regarding the Mudd/CELA project, please contact Brad Burrer at bburrer@oberlin.edu (440-935-0909).
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