During winter break, Facilities Management completed numerous campus improvement projects. The installation of a new community kitchen adjacent to the main lobby in Brinser, preparations for the Young Center renovations later this spring and remaining modifications for the Building ID Card Access Project are included in the projects completed under the supervision of Project Manager Gary Dupler, Carpentry Supervisor Jeremy Schmoel and Mechanical Trades Supervisor Baron Warner.
The installation of new washers and dryers may be the most noticeable change for students living on campus. The College was approached by the company that provides the appliances about replacing the units.
Etown is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education and has been working to reduce its impact on the environment for many years.
According to Director of Facilities Management and Construction Mark Zimmerman, the new high-efficiency washers use one-third of the water the older machines used and will need less maintenance than the previous appliances. Replacing the units also allowed Facilities to repaint the laundry rooms and make flooring repairs.
“The carpeted floors and finishes in Leffler Chapel have become worn and outdated,” Zimmerman said. Consequently, over the break, the building underwent the beginning of an “aesthetic upgrade.” The improvements, made possible by the Castagna family, will include repainting and flooring the common areas around the main auditorium and other improvements to the second floor Lyet Art Gallery. Work on this project is scheduled to continue.
Similar improvements were made to reception areas in the Admissions building, to improve visitor experience, allow handicapable access to the building and provide a more functional space. The changes included new furniture, lighting, plumbing and relocating the main entrance from College Avenue to Mount Joy Street.
“Zug received some new electrical service equipment,” Zimmerman said, as the original equipment failed. Additional work to improve the efficiency of the HVAC system, which had already been planned, needed to be done in conjunction with the change to the service equipment.
While some changes were made for either an improvement of visual appeal or functionality, others aim to improve student safety. Security cables were installed to doors across campus in case of a future need for a lockdown and shelter in place scenario. Routine filter changes were made, and contractors were hired for ductwork cleaning on specific systems, including those found in Nicarry.
Along with painting and flooring upgrades, new electric and data was installed in a college-owned rental property, which houses a new SDLC. The new generator located in Schlosser was brought on line to provide additional emergency backup power to Royer and Schlosser in case of a power outage. The emergency backup equipment now extends to the unit heaters in Schlosser.
“The card access project has created a much safer and efficient way for the college community to manage and monitor access control to buildings and has greatly increased the security of our campus,” Zimmerman said. Work on this project continued over break, modifying the remaining building doors and bringing the card readers and cameras online.
The Facilities Planning and Construction Committee also spent time during the break working on future projects, including the Myer Restroom renovation which is scheduled for the summer and meeting with architects to design the new Sports, Fitness and Wellness Center.
