Parking lots closed

For as long as Union College students can remember, renovations have been the norm on campus. Recently, something big and ambitious has been put into motion: the renovation and expansion of the nursing building and Larson Lifestyle Center. As exciting as it is, the idea of these renovations are nothing new. Conversation about the project had been going on since the first semester of last year.

With renovation comes the closure of some parking spaces around campus. Operations Specialist Chris Canine said, “When we were planning for the start of these projects, the contractor, Ayars & Ayars, Inc., requested full use of the small parking lot just to the north of the Krueger Center and west of Larson Lifestyle Center for equipment and materials staging, the lot near the tennis courts for construction traffic and flexible use of the lower Rees Hall student lot between 49th and 51st streets. Large trucks, earth movers and other equipment will be coming and going at various times, so we anticipate that 51st St., from Calvert St. to Larson will also be inaccessible at times.” 

At the moment, technicians are working in the field to reroute electrical wires, water and gas pipes and telecommunications near the building site before winter, as cold weather and frozen ground are difficult to work around. Groundwork is in progress and will continue for quite some time.

Students, employees and visitors are advised to watch out for fences, barriers, orange cones and moving heavy machinery for their safety as the construction area will become quite busy in the coming months.

It is expected that renovations for the nursing building and Larson Lifestyle Center will be completed by the summer of 2024. On the bright side, there are a few things that students can look forward to once the construction project is completed. The new AdventHealth complex will have its own parking area with increased capacity for patrons, staff, workers and nursing students who will utilize the newly renovated building. The old Larson parking lot will still be accessible to everyone, students and employees.

By: Robert Tengker