Higher Education

APPA is in the process of putting together a manual for: "Grounds Staffing and Maintenance Guidelines."

Subject Areas that are have already been chosen to be covered in the manual are:

George Mason University is hopeful that funding for construction of a new 100,000-sf building at its Manassas campus will be approved by the Virginia General Assembly in its 2000 session. Classrooms, conference center, and a bookstore would be housed in the new  $22 million facility. Groundbreaking could begin in fall 2000, with construction requiring 18 months. Existing buildings at the campus house research and biotechnology operations.

Emory University has completed construction of its new Cherry Logan Emerson Hall, an 80,000-sf facility designed by Cooper Carry Inc. to house chemistry labs. R.J. Griffin is the contractor for the five-story building, which will connect to a building recently renovated by R.J. Griffin, the Sanford S. Atwood Chemistry Center.

California State University Stanislaus’ new 130,000-sf Mary Stuart Rogers Education Services Gateway Building began construction in January 2000. The $17.8-million, three-story facility will be a one-stop facility for student services, centralizing admissions, records, academic advising and counseling; offices for the new president, provost, and other school administrators will also be housed in the new building. Completion is anticipated in fall 2001. General contractor on the project is McCarthy of Sacramento, Calif.

The University of Maryland at College Park, in conjunction with Lucent Technologies of Murray Hill, NJ, has plans for a "digital residence hall" for students in the Hinman Campus Entrepreneurship Opportunities Program. Lucent will design and equip the facility with multimedia messaging, videoconferenceing, and high-speed wireless and data networking.

The Association of American Colleges and Universities has awarded a contract to Facilities Plus in Gaithersburg to coordinate internal moves for the organization.

Shanghai Scienceland, China's first major science museum, has chosen the Los Angeles office of RTKL to design the interiors of the two-building facility. Five galleries, a large format theater, 3D dome theater, as well as an interior courtyard, restaurants, shops, and a multifunction hall will be housed in the main building.

The second building will accommodate a research library, labs, and support functions along with housing for visiting scholars. A bridge link will connect the two buildings.

FlightSafety Boeing Training International has chosen New York-based Parsons Brinckerhoff to provide architecture, engineering, and construction services for a new $73 million, 32,800-sf flight training center near London's Luton Airport. Ground was broken in late October 1999. The facility will house offices, lecture rooms, and training facilities including a four-bay flight simulator training center. Completion is anticipated in fall 2000.

University of California San Diego Medical Center is remodeling its four-story, 28,000-sf Bachman Building. Two San Diego companies are involved in the renovation: Roesling Nakamura Architects Inc. and Kvaas Construction Co.

George Mason University's Fairfax campus may be the recipient of $31 million from the state's proposed 2000-2002 budget. Funds would be used to complete capital improvements already begun at the campus.

A $22 million, 100,000-sf project at the Manassas campus awaits funding as well. This project would construct conference rooms and classrooms for existing biotech and research facilities.

Simmons College has announced a three-year, $51 million expansion of its campus at Fenway. A new five-story, 60,000-sf academic building will house the graduate school of social work, new library, and technology resource center. The $21 million facility is scheduled for completion by fall 2002. The school's residence halls will also be upgraded.

University of the Arts has chosen Arena & Co. as general contractor and construciton manager for its new student residence hall. The dorm will accommodate 400 students.

Virginia Tech may receive $12 million in funding from the proposed state budget to build a biomedical center and establish a biotech research center. The University of Virginia is also targeted in the proposed budget for $2.5 million to convert an abandoned hospital to a technology center at its Wise Campus.

Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute has plans to expand with a new 226,000-sf, $56 million comprehensive cancer facility. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2000.

National Museum of the American Indian, the Smithsonian's tenth museum on Capital Mall, began construction in September. The new five-story, $110 million museum is scheduled to open in 2002 and will focus on American Indians in the Western Hemisphere, including over 1,000 Indian communities.