Construction at Adelphi: The Saga Continues

by Barbara Pizzaro

Get used to it: Construction scenes like these should continued on until the end of the year

Students walking around campus may be wondering when the construction will be over. According to James Kosloski, Executive Director of Facilities Management, it should be completed by the end of this year.

The construction, which is costing Adelphi over three million dollars, was started last September by Botto Mechanical Corporation. The project began in September with excavation around Woodruff Hall and will eventually conclude with work done around Eddy Hall.

In a related story published by the Delphian last October, Robert Shipley, Manager of Maintenance Repairs, commented that the work will be done by outside contractors and therefore will take a substantial amount of time. "The excavation should be done by the end of the summer," said Kosloski. Also, the piping system must be tested before the work can be declared fully completed, thus further increasing the length of the project.

He also stated that the construction was a necessary project since the existing heating lines are 75 years old and suffering from the effects of old age. "The old system is the original one that we put in at Adelphi in 1929." According to Robert Shipley, the existing system was prone to leaks and poorly insulated." All buildings on campus will be linked to the new system when it is complete. "With the existing system we are losing a lot of heat and energy," Shipley said.

Both Kosloski and Shipley believe that the new system will be more efficient. "With the new system we will save a lot more energy," Shipley said. Meanwhile, Adelphi is also planning to upgrade its electrical system.

For many students the construction has been an inconvenience. "I think they should have started the construction in the summer time when there were less students," Seretta Stilley, a freshman, stated. "At one point it was an inconvenience to come out of the Business building because it was blocked off," she said. Dan Pattendon, a senior, seconded Stilley's remarks saying, "I think it was a mistake to start the construction in the winter. The timing is off." Elizabeth Cohen, also a senior, said that she is not happy about the construction either. "If it's not done by graduation, it's going to look ugly." Other students recognized the need for the project. "Yes, the construction has inconvenienced me, but I understand why it's needed because it will decrease our water shortage," said senior, Robbie Powers.