The UW-Madison campus is having some growing pains. It is becoming awkward for students to traverse, and in many places new pipes are emerging. These changes are being caused by two large construction projects occurring around campus, the construction of the new Southeast dorm and the Campus Utility project.
The Central Campus Utility project, which started May 2, is meant to upgrade many campus utilities, such as water and steam distribution. \The new lines (pipes) will provide the capacity needed to maintain a reliable utility distribution network to the central campus. The existing lines were not capable of providing adequate quantities of steam and chilled water to the area,"" said John P. Harrod, Jr., director of the UW physical plant.
The project has been taking place on and around Observatory Drive and the Lakeshore dorms and Natatorium have both been affected. The Nat's east playing fields and Cole Hall's field have been designated as staging areas for the project. Large mounds of dirt have risen like blemishes to the surface where clear green grass once was.
""We lost the near east fields and near west fields. It eliminated space for football, ultimate frisbee, soccer, sand volleyball, and other outdoor activities. All activities have been moved to the far west field, and we do not expect to have the east fields back for at least two years,"" said John Horn, director of recreational programs.
When the project is completed the mounds of soil will be re-deposited on the playing fields. ""The fields will hopefully be re-graded and re-seeded by spring 2006. We want them to have at least one year of growth though before there is any heavy activity on them,"" Harrod said. ""The new elevation of the fields will improve drainage, improve turf, and make play there available much earlier in the spring than current conditions allow,"" stated the projects fact sheet.
The other current large project is the construction of the new Southeast dorm. The new dorm is slated to be done by August 2006.
However, currently a lot of space has been lost. ""We lost outdoor volleyball courts and open field space,"" Horn said. According to Harrod, when the new dorm is completed, Ogg Hall will be torn down and that area will serve as a recreational space. Activities provided by the SERF have been expanded in order to accommodate the displaced students.
""We have expanded volleyball at the SERF already and have 28 additional teams,"" Horn said.
When these projects are done, the campus will move on to other projects in the Campus Master Plan.
