To ensure a sound university infrastructure, the facilities office will upgrade the university’s buildings and facilities during the coming spring and summer semesters.
John Hyden, executive director of facilities, said these upgrades serve both practical and aesthetic purposes.
“Everything has a life cycle, wears out and needs to be periodically renovated or replaced,” Hyden said. “As our facilities age, it is important that they be upgraded to ensure reliability as well as to enhance the aesthetic appeal and comfort of the space.”
This semester, upgrades will be made to the Cushwa Hall north elevator. Construction will continue on the new Veterans Resource Center and on a storage building for the athletic field project west of Fifth Avenue, and roof work will be conducted on Ward Beecher and the pedestrian bridge.
All other renovation and construction projects will be completed this summer. These projects include elevator updates in Maag Library and the Lincoln Building, concrete replacements throughout campus, renovations to DeBartolo Hall and Beeghly Center, upgrades to the campus core lighting, maintenance in the parking decks, upgrades to the emergency generator and replacements of some exterior doors and windows.
Capital construction projects are expected to cost the university about $7.6 million.
Rich White serves as director of planning and construction; all capital construction projects are coordinated through his office. He said that regular updates to the school’s infrastructure are vital.
“There are several reasons why these projects are important including the latest in safety technology in the elevators, reliable lighting on the campus core that is more energy efficient, keeping buildings water tight while increasing the thermal efficiency of the roofs … and providing updated and appealing interior spaces along with upgrades to some of the lighting and mechanical systems in DeBartolo Hall,” White said.
White concluded that the completion of these projects will positively impact the university.
“YSU is investing heavily in maintaining a sound building infrastructure that will increase the safety, efficiency, and reliability of our building systems while at the same time create a more appealing and visually updated campus to better compete with our sister institutions,” White said. “We have a lot of construction planned and we look forward to making these improvements to our campus.”
