Excavation for the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Performing and Visual Arts began slightly behind schedule a couple of weeks ago due to drainage permit issues with the City of Indianapolis.
Construction on the center, located adjacent to Clowes Memorial Hall, isn’t expected to be finished until fall 2012.
“It’s too early to tell how far behind we are,” said Gerald Carlson, vice president of operations. “We should know more once we get the excavation done. We’re hoping to catch up.”
Several other construction projects, some long term, began around campus this summer and will continue into the academic year.
Carlson said construction on Jordan Hall will not be finished anytime soon. After the west portion of the building’s exterior is finished, another will be started.
“That building, with the granite and the brick, just needs constant repairs,” Carlson said. “We keep trying to find the areas that are bad and then try to repair them and make them as water-tight as we can.”
The solar crosswalk in front of Ross Hall that was built last year also is being repaired.
Because the motion-censored solar panels failed, they are being replaced with an accessible touchpad located on a pole on the sidewalk. When activated, the touchpad triggers lights to signal to drivers that pedestrians are crossing.
“The intent of the touchpad is to benefit students at night,” said Ben Hunter, Butler University chief of police director of public safety.
”A mid-street crosswalk is always dangerous, so anything we can do to draw attention to it is a good thing.”
White paw prints were painted on other crosswalks around campus.
“They are neat and different, so they catch everyone’s eyes,” Hunter said. “We really just want cars to slow down.”
Carlson said construction of the Aquatic Center at the Health and Recreation Complex is a project that is nearly complete.
The center closed July 30 for repairs and is scheduled to reopen Aug. 27.
The plaster flooring of the leisure portion of the pool has been replaced with tile.
“It had to be patched quite often,” Scott Peden, director of the HRC said. “It wasn’t so much the lane area that was the problem. It was the leisure area, due to people stepping on the plaster.”
He said the replacement will eliminate repairs and save money.
The outdoor track also is undergoing a facelift. It currently is being resurfaced and reconfigured to meet competition standards.
Carlson said there are more projects currently being planned.
