The front doors of the Physical Science Building re-opened Friday with a temporary walkway as construction continues.

Stephen Shrake, the associate director of design and construction, said these rock paths will eventually be paved as the project continues.

“The work in front of the Physical Science building is a chilled water extension for the Honors College renovation to the old textbook rental area,” Shrake said. “The piping work is complete, and filling in the excavation is in progress.”

The renovation of the old textbook rental area into the Honors College is scheduled to be completed during the Spring 2013 semester.

An elevator for Pemberton Hall and a handicapped-accessible entrance to be used by both buildings are also scheduled. All three projects are currently under construction. Altogether, the projects have a budget of about $3.6 million.

“(The elevator) is a Capital Development Board project and just got started in the last couple weeks,” Shrake said.

“It will not be complete until Winter Break or later depending on delivery of the elevator unit.”

This means it is a state funded and managed project.

Continuing down the North Quad, the McAfee Gymnasium will receive new floors, and Shrake said he expects them to be completed in early September.

While students were away, a variety of campus improvements were completed. This includes the demolition of the coal scrubber apparatus and other discarded equipment that was once connected to the old power plant also located on the North Quad.

William Weber, the vice president for business affairs, oversees the Facilities, Planning and Management Office. He said there was an initiative in the 1980s to burn Illinois coal, which is unclean coal, and they needed the scrubbers to make it burnable.

“The initiative was eventually abandoned, and we switched to clean coal,” Weber said. “Essentially we didn’t need the eyesore anymore, as we have made a commitment to make this campus more attractive.”

Eventually the smokestack will also be demolished, but no timeline has currently been set. The steam plant part of the building currently houses a backup generator for the campus.

“The old steam plant is on the National Register of Historic Places, so we have to be careful with alterations to building’s façade,” Weber said.

Temporarily, the demolished area will be turned into additional parking as well as “green space.”

“My understanding is that it will eventually have a walk connecting the walk in front of Blair Hall with the walk that crosses the parking lot south of Student Services with some art sculpture and a sitting area with minimal landscape,” Shrake said.

Amy Wywialowski can be reached at [email protected] or 581-2812.