By Jeff Samoray, OU Web Writer

Construction of the Education and Human Services Building is proceeding very well and on target for a fall 2002 completion.

“We’re close to being about 30% done with construction,” said Rusty Postlewate, associate vice president for facilities management. “From this point, the workers will expedite finishing the exterior block work. Then they’ll enclose the rest of the building with a temporary enclosure to make it weatherproof so they can work throughout the winter on the interior. Progress is going extremely well.”

The four-story, 132,000-square-foot building is located east of Varner Hall between the Varner Hall parking lot and Pioneer Drive. J.M. Olson Corporation of St. Clair Shores began site contouring for the building in April. The project cost, shared by the university and the State of Michigan, is about $31.5 million.

Beginning Saturday, Oct. 6, the university will work to connect the building into the campus heating and cooling distribution system, which consists of a network of 12-inch supply and return pipelines. This effort will require heating and cooling services to several campus buildings to be shut off and the lines completely drained.

Work will be performed on the weekends of Oct. 6-7 and Oct. 13-14. Service also will be shut off during the week of Oct. 8-12. The buildings and services to be impacted are as follows:

• The Biomedical Research Support Facility, Dodge Hall, Elliot Hall, Kresge Library, Science and Engineering Building and Varner Hall will have no heat.


• The Biomedical Research Support Facility, Dodge Hall, Elliot Hall, Science and Engineering Building and Varner Hall will have no domestic hot water.


• The Biomedical Research Support Facility and Varner Hall will have no cooling.

All services will be fully restored by 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 15. Questions and concerns may be directed to Project Manager Janet Hepburn at (248) 370-4850 or hepburn@oakland.edu.