Plans Underway for Major Seismic Upgrade of University Facilities

April 9, 2015
Dear Colleagues:
For a number of years a plan to seismically strengthen campus buildings has been in the works.
That plan is now a reality. 
The University has just received more than $15 million in bond funding and other funds from the CSU system to retrofit the Library and Theater Arts building, and to make other deferred maintenance infrastructure improvements to University facilities. 
About $5.4 million will go towards Library seismic and building system renovations, and $7.6 million will be allocated for seismic and building system upgrades to the Theatre Arts building. In addition, a combined $2.4 million is slated to improve the energy infrastructure (such as upgrades to transformers, switches, and an electrical substation) and the data center’s fire suppression system. 
Improvements to the Library include replacing part of the roof; relocating and permanently bracing stacks; and strengthening columns along the south side of the building. And in the Theatre Arts building, the ceiling, fly tower above the stage, and theater rigging equipment will be retrofitted.
Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire alarm, and elevator system upgrades, plus other improvements to meet code requirements, will be made to both buildings. There will also be some basic renovations during the retrofitting.   
The Library project is expected to take approximately two years, from conceptualization to construction, and retrofitting is expected to begin this summer.
Timelines and details of the Theatre Arts project are still under discussion.
An important part of the planning process is feedback. So in the coming weeks, a steering committee will provide input on possible design changes for the Library. The group will also host focus groups to gather ideas from the HSU community. From there, the committee will develop a programmatically focused conceptual floor plan. A technical advisory team will use this plan to help guide the project through the design, bidding and construction phases. The planning process will be similar for the Theatre Arts building project.
Safety is a priority, and the structural improvements ahead are exciting and necessary. The University will work to minimize disruptions to the academic program as much as possible.
For more information about the projects, contact Facilities Management at (707) 826-3646. 
 
Sincerely,
Traci Ferdolage, Associate Vice President, Facilities Management

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