Over the summer, building crews were dispersed across campus to continue major renovation and construction projects.
Work on the Athletics and Events Center, Dillingham Center and several offices across campus have created a domino effect of departments expanding and relocating.
One project most students will notice is the ongoing construction of the Athletics and Events Center. Construction on the center started during the summer of 2009 after the college raised sufficient donations. After the summer’s progress, the exterior of the building is closer to being finished and the frame of the center’s tower is fully visible.
Rick Couture, associate vice president for the Office of Facilities, said crews made significant progress during the summer while most students were gone.
“We are starting to put up blocking and walls to delineate some of the rooms,” he said. “We’re trying to get the exterior work of the building done so that we can complete the interior work over the winter.”
The A&E Center will have an indoor track for teams to practice on during inclement weather and an Olympic-sized swimming pool for the swimming and diving teams. It will also include an arena-style facility that can be used for special events and speakers.
“We’re still on track to complete the project as scheduled in July 2011,” Couture said.
In Muller Center, the new Office of Career Services has been completed with a resource center for students where workshop series will be held.
Kristin LiBritz, employer relations coordinator for Career Services, said the new location is more convenient because all the services they offer are in one space.
Two new rooms have also been created for students to use as a professional interview space in the center of the office. Two television screens were installed in the resource center and out in the hallway to promote Career Services in the often-busy hallway.
“We will be profiling alumni who want to tell students what Ithaca did for them and what they’ve accomplished in their career,” she said.
Career Services will hold an open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday in its main office to introduce the new space to the campus community.
Additionally, the art history and anthropology departments have expanded into the space Career Services left in Gannett Center.
The renovated area includes large offices for both departments, a new wired classroom and two seminar rooms for intermediate and upper-level courses.
Jack Rossen, associate professor and department chair of anthropology, said he is excited about the move for his department.
“The biggest thing for us is the classrooms and the display case to show off Native American artifacts and all the other places that we have worked like Africa, Korea and India,” he said.
Dillingham Center also had its final touches completed this summer as part of its two-year renovation plan. This renovation marked the first major renovation of Dillingham since the building was built about half a century ago.
Lee Byron, professor and chair of the theater department, said the renovation has been a work in progress.
“With any major construction project, you get the major work done, and then there are a lot of little things that keep trickling in,” he said. “This summer was primarily about making sure those [little things] were wrapped up.”
Couture said all the building on campus will be beneficial to the college in the end.
“Any time that we’re able to upgrade our facilities is tremendously important for the college,” he said. “It provides better service for our students.”
