Construction has been postponed from Fall 2008 to Spring 2009 as there are some more design details being worked out. Also, the bilding will sit shen finished for the fall-winter-spring to let it "climatize" and have it's formal opening in 2011.
They're calling for ground breaking 2010 and opening 2012...no surprise, but they also said the price has risen from $40 million to $40-45 million. So at least it sounds like costs have been reined in since the shocking $160 million had been thrown around earlier.
It hasn't been discussed in awhile, so I figured I'd chime in with the latest. The State News mentions that they still expect construction to begin in the Spring, despite not having raised the $40-45 million yet for the project. The University spokeswoman said they're "close" to having the money, but no actual numbers were given.
It appears that the design of the structure, specifically the "pleated wall," are leading to a lot of headaches in terms of practicability and cost. No shock really, considering the architects probably cared a lot more about making a showy design than substance.
Apparently they're "close" enough to for sure start construction this Spring. The MSU Board of Trustees has approved the plan to start construction sometime this Spring according to the State News. This seems like pretty good news, considering they're making it seem like there's enough funding in place to make sure the project isn't in any real danger financially. It also appears as if project costs are in the "$40 million range" according to President Simon, and the interior plans were altered slightly to stay within budget.
What's strange is that pleated wall/roof issue doesn't appear to have been a factor in reducing the cost. The concern about this portion of the design was that the valleys in the roof design could lead to leaks, particularly in the Winter. It might look nice, but the University will be regretting making a design mistake if they have to pay for it through the nose in repair costs later on.
Interesting enough, the overhead image, 4th from the bottom, shows the potential issues with the roof. There are a few areas where water could definitely gather, so there certainly needs to be something in place to help with drainage.
Other than that, I can definitely say that the design will turn a few heads. What's with the pigmented concrete though? It's also mentioned in the overhead picture, and appears to lead to a proposed plaza where the current Berkey Hall parking lot is? I've used that parking lot a few times, and I could see how staff would be irked by it being taken away. If it were eliminated, those staff members would either have to park across the street in the student services parking lot, or probably in the ramp by the union, but that's fairly far away.
It looks to be pretty closed off to me. It looks like the entrance on the campus side will be removed and there will only be the entrance off of Grand River. There is a small section of the current parking lot that looks slated to hold benches and planters, thus removing parking spaces.
Comments
Source: City Pulse: Late Breaking News
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20090408/NEWS01/304080002
It appears that the design of the structure, specifically the "pleated wall," are leading to a lot of headaches in terms of practicability and cost. No shock really, considering the architects probably cared a lot more about making a showy design than substance.
What's strange is that pleated wall/roof issue doesn't appear to have been a factor in reducing the cost. The concern about this portion of the design was that the valleys in the roof design could lead to leaks, particularly in the Winter. It might look nice, but the University will be regretting making a design mistake if they have to pay for it through the nose in repair costs later on.
Other than that, I can definitely say that the design will turn a few heads. What's with the pigmented concrete though? It's also mentioned in the overhead picture, and appears to lead to a proposed plaza where the current Berkey Hall parking lot is? I've used that parking lot a few times, and I could see how staff would be irked by it being taken away. If it were eliminated, those staff members would either have to park across the street in the student services parking lot, or probably in the ramp by the union, but that's fairly far away.