Robert Purcell Community Center (RPCC) has been under construction since the beginning of the fall semester. The repair project, which began in mid-August and is expected to continue through July 2004, is designed to fix the cracking concrete on the building’s exterior walls.
The project will not add to or change the building’s current programmed use. According to General Manager of Facilities Dale Walter, “The RPCC concrete repair project will undertake corrective actions to fix concrete cracking that is occurring in the exterior beams.”
The budget estimate for the RPCC repair project is $1.5 million; the budget projection has already been met.
Work on the community center will cease over the winter months and commence again during early spring. The construction has created a moderate inconvenience for students, faculty members and employees. Darren Schlissel ’07, a frequent user of the facility, said, “I have a writing seminar in RPCC and the construction can be quite distracting.”
Coordinators of the project, however, feel that this past summer was an ideal time to start. According to Walter, there is currently sufficient funding available for the construction, as well as a schedule that will allow good access to the building.
The administration has found it difficult to avoid disruptions, but feels these disruptions are worth the benefit of a safer and well-maintained structure. When the work is complete next fall, differences in the building’s appearance may not even be noticeable. The project, according to Walter, was initiated for practical rather than aesthetic purposes.
“As with many planned maintenance projects, the work being performed will not be a noticeable one to the users, but it will insure that the RPCC building structure will be sound and a useable building for many years in the future,” he said.
The repair project is running smoothly so far, according to Project Manager Peter Paradise. Paradise, who has been overseeing the construction, expressed his satisfaction with the work’s progress. He said, “The weather has been cooperative and we’ve made good progress. Everything is going as planned.”
Archived article by Missy Kurzweil