Facilities, Planning and Management is keeping a busy schedule this summer with more than 100 construction projects on campus and around the Ames area. Dave Miller, associate vice president of Facilities, Planning and Management, said increasingly high enrollment has put added pressure on workers to get a lot done during the summer. 

Faculty members don’t want construction workers in buildings during the school year because the extra traffic could endanger students. It’s easier to complete projects without many people wandering around.

Marston Hall

Marston Hall is still under construction and project manager Kerry Anne Dixon said 60 percent of the project is demolition. The project has faced slight delays because all the steel in the building was beneath the concrete in the floors and in the walls covered with lead paint. Rebuilding inside is scheduled to begin in October.

Dixon said the 110-year-old building is built to last, and there was no point in tearing it down completely. The bones of the building will be upgraded, including the addition of central air. Students can expect three additional large classrooms that will seat 60-80 students, smart classrooms, centralized services for students and a new 177-seat auditorium.

Biorenewables Complex

The Biorenewables Complex will be completed when the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering building is completed on June 30. The Agricultural Biosystems Engineering Department will be consolidated in one location for the first time. Iowa State already has a top-five ranked Agricultural Biosystems Engineering program.

Buchanan Hall Building No. 2

The new residence hall, currently called Buchanan Hall Building No. 2, is located east of the existing Buchanan Hall on Lincoln Way and is being constructed to meet the growing demand for housing. It’s projected project budget is $49.5 million. It will house more than 780 beds and is expected to be ready for occupancy by spring 2017.

Road construction

Drivers are encouraged to watch for closed roads.

The following roads will be closed during the summer: Hayward Avenue, Lincoln Way to Hunt Street, West Street, Sheldon to Hillcrest Avenue, Woodland Street and West Street to Forest Glen Street. Mortensen Road and South Dakota Avenue to Dotson Drive will be widened and should be completed by Aug. 21.