Deadlines are critical in the renovation and construction of the Doudna Fine Arts Center and the completion of the Human Services building because students and classrooms have been relocated to off-campus locations. To ensure a smooth construction plan and move back to the Doudna Fine Arts Center, administrators have taken precautionary measures while construction crews work to stay on schedule throughout the process.

Construction of the Fine Arts Center and the Human Services building are closely intertwined and need to remain on schedule so art students relocated to Art Park West and the Village Theater can move back into classrooms in 2005.

The Human Services Building is scheduled to be completed by June 16, 2003 and offices from Health Services, the Counseling Center and Career Services can combine into that building. The move will then vacate the current counseling center and health services buildings, allowing them to be torn down to make room for the Doudna Fine Arts Center expansion. The expansion and construction project is set to be finished by 2005, and classes are expected to resume there by fall 2005.

While university officials are hopeful and confident that final deadlines for the project will be met, the Board of Trustees included a clause in the lease agreements with the Land Trust 995 Commercial National Bank and Robert Walker and Mickie J. Walker that will extend the lease agreement in case a move is not possible by fall 2005.

According to the lease agreement between the Board of Trustees and the owners of the Art Park West building, the Land Trust 995 Commercial National Bank, the conditions of the contract exist until August 31, 2005 and can be renewed for one-month periods. The same agreement exists with the owners of the Village Theater,

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allowing the university to renew the lease on a month-to-month basis through December 31, 2005 under the same terms and condition and pricing as the original lease.

Jeff Cooley, vice president of business affairs, said previously that the university felt it was necessary to include an extension clause to ensure students and faculty would be able to continue to hold class in the event that the move back into the Doudna Fine Arts Center is delayed.

“It is our great hope that everything continues in a timely, scheduled matter,” said Rex Hilligoss, architect for facilities planning and management.

While he said facilities planning and management officials have no special strategy for finishing on time, communication is key in this project. Crews from both projects are expected to keep in close contact with one another and with facilities planning and management.

Karl Helmink, architectural mechanic engineer for facilities planning and management, said contractors for the Human Services building are providing monthly updates about the status of their progress, and if the updates are not submitted on time, they do not get paid.

Jeff Boshart, a sculpture professor, said he is pleased that the university has taken precautionary measures to avoid complications. He said he thinks officials have learned from the construction delays of the Booth Library renovations and the recent delays in the completion of Art Park West and the Village Theater, realizing students and classes cannot be moved if buildings are not completed.

“I think most of us are eager to move into the new building,” he said. “That’s the first choice. I’m just hoping everything goes on schedule and we get to move in three and a half years.”