By Abbie Leland
If you haven’t been on OSU’s Corvallis campus much lately, you might notice a handful of active construction sites as you return to campus. Work continues to progress for major projects on campus, including the Fairbanks Hall Renovation, Community Hall Slope, Cordley Hall Renewal and North District Utility Plant projects.
Fairbanks Hall Renovation Project – People returning to campus will notice that the metal annex building has been demolished, and fencing and scaffolding are up around the building. Old fire escapes have been removed from the north and south sides of the building and a new roof is being added. Many walls and flooring inside the building have been removed as work continues to progress on the building’s interior.
Originally constructed in 1892, Fairbanks Hall is one of the oldest buildings on the Corvallis campus. The renovation project includes major upgrades, such as a new east porch, a new roof, accessibility upgrades to the building entrance and the installation of an elevator.
Community Hall Slope Project – OSU began work for the Community Hall Slope Project in July 2021 to update the area shown in this map image to provide access through this portion of the Corvallis campus for all people. ADA improvements related to the project will also require reconstruction of building entrances to Gladys Valley, the Pharmacy Building and Joyce Collin Furman Hall. There will be an open entrance to each building at all times.
Tree removal work in the project area started at the beginning of September, and additional work associated with the project is taking place on the east side of Furman Hall. Fencing is up around the entire project area, and electrical work is in progress before the start of planned excavation work.
Cordley Hall Renewal and North District Utility Plant projects – Renovation work being done on the west side of Cordley Hall is progressing on schedule with heavy construction activity. As we move into fall, upcoming work will include crane picks and equipment being placed into the building’s newly renovated westside penthouse. Exterior windows have also been installed.
Construction of the North District Utility Plant (NDUP) is in the home stretch. Currently the project is performing functional testing, balancing and commissioning. The NDUP will provide 4,500 tons of cooling to the north campus chilled water loop. This system currently serves the Agricultural & Life Sciences (ALS) Building, Nash Hall, Cordley Hall, Wilkinson Hall and the Burt Hall complex. The new NDUP facility will provide capacity for expansion of this loop to neighboring facilities, and these improvements will be evaluated as major renovations are identified in the area. The NDUP is targeted to be fully operational in October 2021.
