What’s all that noise about?

Bulldozers, workers in hard hats, sounds of clanking metal are the order of the day at UNCP.

Whether you are new this semester to campus, or a returning student you probably feel you are living in a construction zone.

Due to the forward thinking of the citizens of North Carolina you are benefiting from the largest concentrated effort to update the sixteen campus of the University of North Carolina. In 2000 UNCP received $56 million of the allotted $3 billon higher education bond referendum.

How is our share being spent? You will see many changes on the campus brought about from the bond money. Our largest three projects have been completed. They were the renovation of and addition the Oxendine Building, and additions to Jones Health and PE Building and a new Facilities Maintenance Complex, located at the north end of campus and housing the Physical Plant shops, motor pool, and administration.

Construction is underway at the former Physical Plant site of a new building to house the Bookstore, Post Office, Printing, Central Receiving, Central Stores, and Campus Police. Construction on the new complex began in 2004, and will be completed in September 2006. During this period, student, faculty and staff will lose some spaces from Lot 14 due to staging of equipment and building materials.

Bookstore. The new bookstore will expand on the popular coffee and snack bar areas in the existing store. With the addition of the other functions, the building is expected to provide one-stop services for student needs such as post office and printing services. It will also be more conveniently located next to parking areas.

Art students and faculty have returned to find a newly renovated Locklear Hall. New faculty offices are now located on a second floor, and painting students will enjoy a new painting studio with clear northern light. The new art gallery will house student work and that of visiting artists.

In a similar project, Moore Hall will also receive an addition of a music room, elevator and upgraded air conditioning systems. Work will be completed during the fall semester, so students will experience some relocation of classes. Faculty offices have also been relocated temporarily.

Classroom. An exciting project that will break ground during this year is construction of a new general classroom building at the north end of campus, beyond Dial

The building is slated to house the sociology, criminology, and psychology programs. This building should be online by the 2006-2007 academic year. Impact on traffic in the area should be minimal. The parking lot north of Dial for Faculty/Staff will remain open. Contractors will use the area north of the softball field for staging of construction materials, and there will be increased construction traffic in the area.

Annex. Two additional projects of great interest to students will be the Student Center Annex, and upgrades to the soccer field which will be used by the upcoming football program. Both of these projects are funded with student fees.

The Student Center Annex will construct a free standing building on the north side of the Chavis University Center that will house a large meeting area, SGA offices, Indianhead and Aurochs work areas.

Construction on this project should begin in October 2005, and be completed in approximately one year. Regarding the soccer field project, two sections of bleacher have already been added, and a new press box will be sent for bidding soon. Students will notice construction staging in the areas affected but access to the track and soccer field will remain open.

These projects truly represent a monumental building effort for UNCP, and will take us into the new millennium.

This next year will be an eventful year of our building program, and will cause delays and disruptions to the campus community. While no one likes the construction process everyone should love the outcome Hopefully everyone will take the disruptions that we will experience this coming year in stride, keep their patience and look forward to the outcome.