Simpson Hall construction on schedule

Weather delays concrete

By Kara Bacon
Trail Co-editor

The framing on the south end Simpson Hall started going up on Monday Nov. 28.

Construction workers are currently getting the duct work for the Internet and the telephone wires in place.

Though the framing for the hall began this week, the concrete work is not yet complete on the other half of the building.
According to Northwest College Vice President of Administrative Affairs Kim Mills, the whole process is coming along really well.

Work is also currently being done along Seventh Street to wire the new hall with Internet and telephone services. Underground fiber optic ducts are being placed across campus starting at the Fagerberg Building, continuing down Seventh Street, then north along the end of Division Street and finally across the athletic field to the new building.

Though it is quite the process, Mills said that it was to be completed by approximately the end of this week. After the ducts are complete, they will be ready for the fiber optic cables that will be run through at a later date. Also when the ducts are in place the sidewalks will be put back together.

Mills said another major concern right now is the weather, even though they are still on schedule. Colder temperatures have already slightly slowed the process of pouring the concrete. The company that is doing the concrete work has to pour smaller sections at a time due to the temperature, said Mills.

He is also hopeful that the whole first floor will have its framing by January and the second floor by approximately mid-February.

A possibility is that if the framing on the first floor of the west wing is done, before the rest of the concrete is poured, they will move on the second floor of that wing.

The work is starting at about seven in the morning and affecting the residents of Cody Hall. Mills said that if they don’t start at that time they can’t get a full day of work in and therefore wouldn’t complete the project on time for its fall 2006 opening.

“It is an unfortunate problem,” said Mills and he appreciates the fact that the residents are putting up with the inconvenience and the noise.

He also mentioned that when the construction began the noise concern was focused on the demolition of Bridger Hall that happened at about the same time.

A contract to connect the main plumbing to the city lines has not yet been completed due to the fact that this does not need to be completed until spring, said Mills.

He added that the college has written the bid package but it has not yet been sent out to any companies. Other than that all of the plumbing that could be done by this point has been finished.