The first floor bathrooms in the Memorial Union Building are currently in the process of receiving new countertops, partitions and faucets. Facilities Management is currently working on renovating the bathrooms, which will be completed within the next few weeks.
According to Facilities architect Jacob Guter, they are only one of a series of upcoming projects. “We actually have approval to put in a new [wheelchair accessible] ramp on the north side of the (MUB) building,” Guter said. The ramp will be put in on the corner of the building just outside of the MUB circle near the entrance from campus.
Facilities management is also doing planning for a new ceiling and lights in the MUB commons area, but Guter added that approval for that project has not yet been granted.
Along with the renovations taking place in the MUB, the Chemical Sciences and Engineering building will be having some work done as well. A new addition on the Cliff Drive side of the building will provide a chemical storage facility that Guter said “will make it easier to receive and transport chemicals.” The new facility will also be made to meet current fire code and ventilation requirements.
The work for the new addition will begin this summer, and won’t be finished until next spring. Facilities Management will also be renovating Lab 503 in the Chemical Sciences and Engineering building, and will both start and complete those renovations this summer.
Renovations that were started two years ago on lower Daniell Heights will be finished this summer, and renovations will start on upper Daniell Heights.
The bathrooms in both East and West McNair (not to be confused with the construction taking place as a result of flooding earlier this semester) will also be renovated over this summer, according to Guter. IT cabling throughout campus is receiving an upgrade as well.
Many of these renovations are funded through part of a 26 million dollar bond issue passed by the university in 2015. “We’ve completed many projects and are currently working on many projects using that money,” Guter said.
The Daniell Heights renovations, McNair bathrooms, and Chemical Sciences and Engineering storage facility are all projects being completed using this bond money, along with upgrades to fire alarm and HVAC systems on most campus buildings, which Guter said “allows [Michigan Tech] to be more energy efficient.”
