Emory Report

August 31, 1998

 Volume 51, No. 2

Campus construction catches its breath before crunch

Think of it as the calm before the storm.

With the renovations to Asbury Circle now complete and other ongoing projects removed from central campus, the 1998-99 school year will be relatively free of bulldozers and construction cranes. But the peace and tranquility will be short lived.

According to Jen Fabrick, director of campus planning, anywhere from three to five major projects could break ground during the 1999-2000 academic year, and that's just in the heart of campus-work on the University Apartments parking deck will begin next summer, and Emory may launch major construction work at the new Emory West property on Briarcliff Road.

"This year you won't see a lot of onsite construction, but next year it's going to be rampant," Fabrick said. "In all due honesty, there's going to be a lot of serious construction happening." The projects slated to break ground during that year could include:

  • School of Nursing. Located at the corner of Clifton and Houston Mill roads, the project is entering schematic design. The architects are Stang and Newdow with master planners Ayers/Saint/Gross.
  • Medical Research Laboratory. This building will connect the Rollins Research Building with the Michael Street parking deck. Facilities Management has issued a request for proposals from contractors.
  • Science 2000, Phase 1. The architectural team of Cooper Carry is in schematic design for this facility that will be located next to the chemistry building. Future plans for Science 2000 include a pedestrian bridge over Pierce Drive.
  • Performing Arts Center. Fabrick is hopeful that work on this facility, located next to the Goizueta Business School, will get under way during the next academic year. Her office is doing cost estimates for schematic design, and the University is still studying its budget options.
  • Comprehensive Cancer Center. Another possibility for the next year, two sites are being considered for this facility.

A whole roster of contractors is on board for the UA parking deck: LRE/Dames & Moore are the lead consultants; Hughes Good O'Leary & Ryan are the landscape architects; Walker Parking Consultants designed the deck itself; and Thompson Ventulett & Stainback are also doing architectural and engineering consulting. Hector Morales will serve as project manager.

Morales said it was "quite a relief" to have Asbury Circle completed by the time everyone returned to campus. As Emory Report went to press, he was still waiting for a few amenities-pre-cast railings for the bridge in front of Cox Hall, sod and trees to be planted, a bus shelter-but shuttles are already running along Emory's newest pedestrian-friendly stretch.

And the next few summers will see the red brick of Asbury and North Kilgo grow to cover even more of campus. The next phase, slated for summer 1999, will involve "Chill Hill," the stretch of Pierce Drive between the Dobbs Center and Cox. And in 2000 Asbury's pedestrian-only segment will extend from Pierce past the P.E. Center to Fraternity Row.

Still, with all the fervor surrounding these future projects, there still are construction efforts currently under way. Yerkes' Vaccine Research Center is due to be finished in March 1999, and this winter will see the groundbreaking of the Miller-Ward Alumni House, located next to the new Scholar's Press building on Houston Mill Road. Jack Gilbert, associate vice president for gift planning, said the alumni building should be complete by the winter of 1999-00.

--Michael Terrazas



Return to Aug. 31, 1998, contents page