The Student Council’s Building and Grounds Committee unveiled its new Grounds-oriented construction website yesterday evening at the Student Council general body meeting.
Third-year Architecture student Nell Connors said the Committee began work on the website at the beginning of last semester to help students find information about the University’s construction projects more easily.
“I think our main goal was to make it Google-searchable,” Connors said.
Connors said the site aims to educate students about “current, future and past construction projects” and to inform the community about changes in ongoing projects. Connors added the Council hopes the site will help attract prospective students.
The site has status updates, financial information and photos or sketches of 18 buildings undergoing construction or renovation around Grounds. Council members update the site whenever the Board of Visitors Building and Grounds Committee or University Facilities Management release information about ongoing projects.
“We’ll be right behind them to put [the updates] in this centralized location,” first-year Engineering student Chris Collins said. “We’d like to make it as user-friendly and informative as possible.”
Second-year Engineering student Alex Pawlowski said each of the new buildings will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified, like all University buildings constructed since 2006.
“We covered all construction projects within Grounds,” Pawlowski said. He also presented a Google map, which charts the different projects.
The site is currently hosted by the Council’s home website, but Vice President for Administration Whit Hunter suggested obtaining a domain name which would help increase site traffic. Students can review articles from The Cavalier Daily at the bottom of the page to research construction projects.
Connors said the Committee plans to publicize the website more through the Council, as well as by putting up posters on the walls of construction sites.
Council members also spoke about the forthcoming athletics indoor practice facility, which will be completed in spring 2013.
“[Athletic Director] Craig Littlepage has given the indicator that this is the number one athletics priority,” second-year College student Alex Doherty said.
The athletics indoor practice facility construction project is currently $3 million away from its $13 million target.