With phase one of the Rotunda renovations completed well ahead of schedule, scaffolding around the Rotunda started coming down Monday, well in advance of Final Exercises.
Although the scaffolding would have been taken down for the graduation ceremonies regardless, completing the first phase of the renovations early means the scaffolding will not have to go back up after, saving the University $150,000, Chief Facilities Officer Donald Sundgren said.
Sundgren attributed the speed at which the project was completed to cooperation between the contractor, University and renovation designers, as well as helpful weather and building conditions.
“We were fortunate in that we didn’t encounter many difficult or unforeseen issues when we removed the old roof,” Sundgren said. “It was not a harsh winter.”
Phase one of the Rotunda restoration involved replacing the roof and repairing the building’s exterior, including the brick and mortar and the windows, Sundgren said. Phase two of the project will focus on the inside of the Rotunda, including the mechanical and electrical systems, elevators and the interior of the Rotunda Dome room.
“The last time that the Rotunda went through a full restoration was in the 1970s,” Sundgren said. “With the quality of work that is going in there now and the attention to maintaining it, it will hopefully last a good bit longer than [last time].”
Once the state approves funding for the project this summer, the University can move forward with phase two of the project with a target date for completion of May 2016, Sundgren said.
The state and the University split funding the Rotunda restoration equally, with most of the University’s funding coming from private donations.
The scaffolding will come down completely by the beginning of Final Exercises, Sundgren said.
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