Before and after - College Avenue under construction and design rendering

GREENSBORO – Contractors for the College Avenue upgrade, no doubt,  have muttered "Rain, rain, go away" any number of times as they worked on the project that will transform UNCG's "main street" into a half-mile pedestrian corridor, stretching from Spring Garden Street to the School of Music on West Market Street.

The projected completion date for College Avenue has been pushed back to December due to combination of rain and some "surprises" the contractors found as they were digging. One waterline had to be rerouted and an electric line had to be worked around. There were also sections of bridge abutments from the days when Walker Avenue ran across the campus. Before the construction of Jackson Library, students at Woman's College had to walk across a bridge from one side of campus to the other. The construction of the library in the 1950s divided Walker Avenue into sections on the east and the west sides of campus.

"Rain this year absolutely has hurt us, but we have still been able to get a number of things done," said Dave Lumpkin, associate vice chancellor for facilities. "Some things are behind schedule, but no one's to blame."

The work on College Avenue is part of a $50 million construction and renovation boom taking place on campus this fall. College Avenue runs through the core of campus and is flanked by the Alumni House, Elliott University Center and Jackson Library. When the walkway is completed, it will be open to cars and trucks only on move-in and move-out days. The work, part of a $6.5 million project scheduled for completion in late 2004, also includes improvements to underground utilities and the realignment of McIver Street and East Lake Drive.

"We will probably have the most extensive group of construction, renovation and improvement projects getting under way in the history of the university,” said Fred Patrick, director of facilities design and construction.These are projects that have been on the university’s need and wish lists for a long time. When they’re completed, this campus will be as well-fitted to meet its academic mission as any in the UNC system.”

UNCG’s share of the $3.1 billion N.C. Higher Education Bonds is $160 million, which includes money for two new buildings and other essential renovation projects. The university plans to break ground on the humanities and studio arts buildings during spring semester. All of the bond projects are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2008.

The new additions aren’t taking place without inconvenience. When students returned, College Avenue's concrete had been broken and piled up. Walkways through the construction zone were placed at intervals along the street. “There is going to be a lot of construction activity on campus for the next 18 months or so, but it shouldn’t hamper the ability to get around,” Patrick said. “The largest change in the University’s traffic pattern will be the closing of College Avenue. This change will alter the campus permanently and will really improve the experience pedestrians have while moving about the campus.”

Upcoming projects include:

• Northeast Campus Infrastructure Project, $6.5 million. In addition to the College Avenue work, the project will improve campus safety, provide ADA accessible pedestrian walkways, new lighting and improved access to the School of Music Building by construction of a new bridge through the Peabody area of campus. It will address issues in the environmentally sensitive area. Also included is the re-alignment of McIver Street with East Lake Drive.

 
• Studio Arts Center, $16.6 million new building, home to the Department of Art and the Department of Interior Architecture, on Highland Avenue at the highest point of elevation on campus. Features will include classrooms, design studios, a foundry, a ceramics studio, an art gallery and an outdoor sculpture garden. The firm of Hayes, Seay, Mattern and Mattern is designing the facility, and a spring semester 2004 groundbreaking is planned with completion in late 2005 or early 2006.

 
• Hall for Humanities and Research Administration, $15.8 million new building, home to many of the humanities departments and research services, located at the intersection of Spring Garden and Forest streets. The old Park Gymnasium Building will be demolished at the start of the project. The firm of Galloway, Johnson Moore and West is designing the building. A spring semester 2004 groundbreaking is planned and completion estimated at early to mid 2006.

 
• Aycock Auditorium renovation, $16.3 million new building. On Aug. 28, the UNCG Board of Trustees selected Gantt Huberman Architects along with Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates to design the building. The project will completely modernize the 1927, 2,000-seat facility. Included will be public spaces, stage and stage support areas, repair of the building envelope, and replacement of the building's plumbing, mechanical, electrical and fire protetion systems. Construction will start in 2006.

 
• McNutt Building renovation, $2.6 million. Trustees selected Lambert Architecture for design. Work will include upgrade the electrical system and replace the mechanical system. Construction will start in 2006.

 
• Stone Building, renovation, $8.4 million, home of the School of Human Environmental Sciences, located on College Avenue. The project will completely renovate the building’s 1929 wing to provide new classroom space and faculty offices for the school’s six departments. Completion is expected mid-2005.

 
• Petty Building renovation, $15.2 million, to remain as home of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and to provide additional classroom space. The project will comprehensive renovation of the building interior, replacement of electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems, and repir of the building envelope. Designer selection will be in November, with construction starting in 2006.

 
• Brown Building renovation, $6.2 million, located at Tate Street and Walker Avenue, to convert the former School of Music building for classroom and office space. Design selection will be in November with construction starting in 2006.

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