Rebecca Mueller/Winonan

Heavy construction equipment has taken up residence alongside Kryzsko Commons, and the building’s appearance changes every day.

Construction will continue throughout the school year, affecting not just the look of the campus, but students’ study routines and routes around campus as well.

Closing off Baldwin Lounge is a necessary part of renovating and expanding the Phase III portion of the building, but it leaves students with one less quiet study area.

Charles Roberts, who is a student representative on the construction committee, said, “It’s one of those things that was just unavoidable.”

As a designated quiet space, Baldwin Lounge is a popular study location for many students.

With the space off-limits during construction, students who normally go there to study must find new locations.

The tables and chairs that used to be in Baldwin Lounge have been moved to the Student Activity Center so that students still have space to study.

Bradyn Hertel, who prefers to study in Baldwin Lounge, said, “If you want silence, you will have to go to the third floor of the library or reserve a study room.” He likes that the space in Baldwin is close to the Jack Kane Dining Center and the Smaug, which is more convenient for getting food during study breaks.

The project has had a smaller impact on students who do not typically use Baldwin Lounge. Dani Summer normally studies in the Darrell W. Krueger Library. For her, the biggest impact has been walking around the building to get to her off-campus apartment.

Students who live in Kirkland Hall and New Center West are faced with the challenge of finding new routes to various campus buildings. They can still walk through Baldwin Lounge this semester, but the space will be completely offline in the spring semester.

Sadie Cameron, who lives in New Center West, said the construction site is directly in the path from point A to point B for her. She feels that it’s an inconvenience to take the long way around buildings, and that it’s unsafe to do so at night. She looked forward to when the sidewalk between Minne and Kryzsko Commons reopened.

Several students are frustrated that construction did not start during the summer while fewer students were on campus.

Student Union director Joe Reed had hoped for construction to start on May 13, but he is impressed with the Alvin E. Benike, Inc. construction crew, which has worked hard to stay on schedule despite some snags along the way.

He explained that the bookstore’s schedule played a large role in planning the construction process. The bookstore had to stay running during the summer for freshman registration and the start of the school year.

Construction in the bookstore will mainly take place in January and February. It will be temporarily stationed in the Winonan Room during this time.

“It’s the price of progress,” Reed said. He said he believes that the finished project will serve students’ needs.

During the first month of the project, the construction workers replaced the underground pipes that run between Kryzsko Commons and Minne Hall. As they worked, the crew discovered parts that needed replacing and battled heavy rain that filled the trench with rainwater. Despite these struggles, the crew is still on schedule.

The trench is now in the process of being refilled and sodded. New cement was poured for the section of sidewalk that had been torn up and blocked off. This path has been opened for use.

The construction workers are currently in the demolition phase of the project, having removed old features like the concrete ramp outside Baldwin. They began removing portions of the outer walls last Friday.

Temporary interior walls have been set up, which have been painted since they will be in place for the duration of the project.

The next step for the construction workers will be to put down the foundations for the expansion. Over winter break, they will install a sprinkler system and new ventilation system in the Phase III portion of the building.

The project is scheduled to be finished in June.

Contact Rebecca at [email protected]