A senior university official said an email update regarding Syracuse University’s ongoing construction projects will be continued on a monthly basis after the summer break is over.

Pete Sala, vice president and chief campus facilities officer, said in an email that the weekly updates, which have been sent to the SU community during the summer regarding the construction work on the campus, will be sent monthly in the fall semester. These updates have allowed him to communicate with the SU community members and answer questions in real time.

“It’s been a great communications tool and I plan to continue sending construction updates on a monthly basis moving forward,” Sala said.

The monthly updates will begin on Monday, Sept. 5 and will continue on the first Monday of each month until the school year ends.

Reflecting on how the project was put forward during the summer, Sala expressed his satisfaction over the progress it made during the summer in spite of its “aggressive schedule.” He also said a drought experienced in upstate New York worked in the project’s favor because of fewer rainy days.

Sala provided details of upcoming information sessions on the construction project in an effort to enhance communications between the university community and the Division of Campus Planning, Design and Construction (CPDC).  All of the information sessions will take place in the Heroy Geology Building, Room 113 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Dates are:

• Tuesday, Aug. 23
• Tuesday, Sept. 20
• Wednesday, Oct. 19
• Tuesday, Nov. 15
• Wednesday, Dec. 7

Sala said most of the larger projects will be complete by August 22. Yet, he said, there will be several projects that carry into the fall semester.

Changes to bus routes: New transportation options will be available for students’ return to campus in an effort to create more efficient traffic flow on campus, improve roadway safety and have increased accessibility to transportation services. Centro buses will be able to better serve the campus community on ADA-friendly route between the SU campus and the Centro transit hub located downtown. New stops are now in operation along College Place and Waverly Avenue. Four bus stops are now located on Waverly Avenue, two buses will be eastbound and two will be westbound. Passengers taking city routes to the downtown Centro transit hub will now be picked up on the Life Sciences Complex side of College Place.

Water main replacement: The majority of the 24-inch water main replacement in Sims Drive was completed Tuesday evening. However, testing, connecting and opening process could take about two more weeks. During this time plates or a construction fence will be put in place at the two ends.

Construction on the National Veterans Resource Complex: The NVRC, SU’s new flagship effort to establish itself as a hub for research and programming related to veteran and military affairs in central New York, was proposed in October 2015. The NVRC would be built on the western portion of Waverly Avenue near the SU campus, and the current building will be demolished in coordination with the city.

Syracuse University Ambulance is planned to move to Lyman Hall.

Published on August 23, 2016 at 7:27 pm

Contact Satoshi: ssugiyam@syr.edu | @SatoshiJournal