Courtesy SUNY Adirondack
SUNY Adirondack’s “Building the Dream” project is under way and includes major new construction, renovation of existing structures, and the addition of common areas and green space.
The college’s capital projects update report says both the new NSTEM addition (Nursing, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and the Adirondack Regional Workforce Readiness Center (WORC) will be state-of-the-art facilities that reflect the high caliber of programs SUNY Adirondack offers students and the surrounding region.
The new facilities will be added onto the northern and southern sides of the existing science building and will add nearly 50,000 square feet to the facility, according to college officials. On the south side, the 26,500-square-foot NSTEM addition will house classrooms, physics, geology and microbiology labs, a new computer room, a greenhouse and an open “collaborative” space.
On the north side, WORC will occupy 23,000 square feet and offer training in health, technology, and entrepreneurship, while also serving as a resource center for regional businesses.
Officials said the construction of these two additions enables SUNY Adirondack to fulfill its vision of encouraging interaction and collaboration across disciplines, facilitating community partnerships, and fostering regional business development for both existing businesses in the area and businesses who are considering relocation into the region.
Designed for sustainability, NSTEM and WORC will cost approximately $26.7 million. Funding for the $17 million NSTEM facility will be equally divided between the state and Warren and Washington counties. Warren County is providing just under $6 million, with Washington County providing nearly $3 million, and the state will provide the balance.
Funding from WORC comes from a $9.7 million SUNY 2020 grant.
County bonding was completed in March and most of the necessary surveying is either complete or nearing completion, as is the schematic design phase, which includes interior floor plan, parking, exterior design and cost estimates, officials said
The remaining steps in the process include: a 10-week design development phase, which began in April and will be completed sometime in June; preparation of construction documents to be completed between June and August; and, a five-week bidding process that will end in September.
Construction of additional parking to accommodate the additions is scheduled to be completed this summer, with actual construction of the NSTEM and WORC additions to commence in October, officials said. In addition, renovations will begin on the existing science building in September 2017 and are expected to take approximately nine months to complete.
Renovations to the Scoville Learning Center are also underway. Scoville Center is presently home to both academic and administrative offices, including the Technology Center, Office of the President, library, auditorium and conference center and Einstein Bros. Bagels.
According to a report prepared by the college, planned renovations to Scoville Learning Center came about as a result of a President’s Task Force on Academic Support Services. The goal is to locate services and technology in a way that promotes collaboration and improves efficiencies for students, faculty and staff.
The design phase of the Scoville renovation was completed last month, and the bidding and awards phase are expected by the end of May, according to SUNY Adirondack’s Director of Marketing and Communications Doug Gruse.
The budget for the Scoville project is between $375,000-$450,000.
Construction documents are in the drafting stage and the construction time frame is still being determined, officials said. The college hopes to defray some of the associated costs by having portions of the work done internally.
According to Gruse, the projects are on schedule and on budget, and there have been no changes to the construction schedule.