New dorm ahead of schedule
By Amanda Estes
Staff Writer
Construction on Southern Maine Community College’s (SMCC) new 320-bed residence hall is moving along smoothly and school officials said the dorm will likely be finished by the end of the year, months ahead of the anticipated summer 2008 completion date.
With a budget of $12.1 million, the SMCC dorm is the largest component of the Maine Community College System’s (MCCS) residential housing expansion project, according to Helen Pelletier, Interim Director of Public Affairs.
In November 2005, the MCCS Board of Trustees authorized MCCS President John Fitzsimmons to enter into a contract with Pizzagalli Construction to construct new dorms at three of the MCCS’ seven schools: Central Maine Community College in Auburn, Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor and SMCC. The expansion project will be paid for with student room and board fees.
Pelletier said Central Maine’s 150-bed dorm ($5.3 million) and Eastern Maine’s 160-bed dorm ($5.7 million) are scheduled to open this fall.
Scott Beatty, of SMCC’s Construction Projects Department, said because it is difficult to move students into a new building mid-semester, he expects the dorm will open sometime next summer.
While Beatty said the agreement with Pizzagalli did not include an early completion clause, the earlier completion date will save the construction firm money. Beatty said the project budget largely hasn’t changed since construction began.
As part of the project, the South Portland Planning Board has required that SMCC be responsible for minor traffic adjustments aimed at improving traffic flow at the Cottage Road and Sawyer Street intersections with Broadway. The adjustments mainly involve lane restriping.
South Portland Director of Planning and Development, Tex Haeuser said the left turn near Holy Cross School at the intersection of Cottage and Broadway will be closed.
“That left turn has shown up in a number of traffic studies as being a problem,” he said. “A traffic engineer at SMCC recommended it be closed [and] the planning board made it a requirement of the SMCC project.”
Haeuser said closing the left turn lane will allow motorists to travel through the intersection in two lanes, whereas now, one lane is essentially closed for motorists turning left.
Another improvement also at the Cottage and Broadway intersection will include modifying the lanes as motorists approach Broadway from city hall to consist of an exclusive left turn lane and a shared through right lane.
“The through people many times can’t get through because the traffic is queued up,” Haeuser said.
The planning board, Haeuser said, also required SMCC to install three fluorescent paint pedestrian warning signs between Benjamin W. Pickett Street and Broadway. In addition, he said SMCC will be establishing a traffic demand coordinator position to help inform students and others about alternative methods of transportation.
Beatty said depending on when he can obtain a contractor for the improvements, that part of the project could get underway within a month or so. He said the work could be completed within a few days.
Currently, SMCC houses 127 students within its two residence halls: Surfsite and Harborview. This fall, residents will have the opportunity to vote on a bond that could fund, among other projects, renovations to the Surfsite dorm, said Beatty. He said the building is roughly 40 years old and is need of mechanical system upgrades, new paint and new windows. He also said work needs to be done to make the building more energy efficient.
Staff Writer
Construction on Southern Maine Community College’s (SMCC) new 320-bed residence hall is moving along smoothly and school officials said the dorm will likely be finished by the end of the year, months ahead of the anticipated summer 2008 completion date.
With a budget of $12.1 million, the SMCC dorm is the largest component of the Maine Community College System’s (MCCS) residential housing expansion project, according to Helen Pelletier, Interim Director of Public Affairs.
In November 2005, the MCCS Board of Trustees authorized MCCS President John Fitzsimmons to enter into a contract with Pizzagalli Construction to construct new dorms at three of the MCCS’ seven schools: Central Maine Community College in Auburn, Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor and SMCC. The expansion project will be paid for with student room and board fees.
Pelletier said Central Maine’s 150-bed dorm ($5.3 million) and Eastern Maine’s 160-bed dorm ($5.7 million) are scheduled to open this fall.
Scott Beatty, of SMCC’s Construction Projects Department, said because it is difficult to move students into a new building mid-semester, he expects the dorm will open sometime next summer.
While Beatty said the agreement with Pizzagalli did not include an early completion clause, the earlier completion date will save the construction firm money. Beatty said the project budget largely hasn’t changed since construction began.
As part of the project, the South Portland Planning Board has required that SMCC be responsible for minor traffic adjustments aimed at improving traffic flow at the Cottage Road and Sawyer Street intersections with Broadway. The adjustments mainly involve lane restriping.
South Portland Director of Planning and Development, Tex Haeuser said the left turn near Holy Cross School at the intersection of Cottage and Broadway will be closed.
“That left turn has shown up in a number of traffic studies as being a problem,” he said. “A traffic engineer at SMCC recommended it be closed [and] the planning board made it a requirement of the SMCC project.”
Haeuser said closing the left turn lane will allow motorists to travel through the intersection in two lanes, whereas now, one lane is essentially closed for motorists turning left.
Another improvement also at the Cottage and Broadway intersection will include modifying the lanes as motorists approach Broadway from city hall to consist of an exclusive left turn lane and a shared through right lane.
“The through people many times can’t get through because the traffic is queued up,” Haeuser said.
The planning board, Haeuser said, also required SMCC to install three fluorescent paint pedestrian warning signs between Benjamin W. Pickett Street and Broadway. In addition, he said SMCC will be establishing a traffic demand coordinator position to help inform students and others about alternative methods of transportation.
Beatty said depending on when he can obtain a contractor for the improvements, that part of the project could get underway within a month or so. He said the work could be completed within a few days.
Currently, SMCC houses 127 students within its two residence halls: Surfsite and Harborview. This fall, residents will have the opportunity to vote on a bond that could fund, among other projects, renovations to the Surfsite dorm, said Beatty. He said the building is roughly 40 years old and is need of mechanical system upgrades, new paint and new windows. He also said work needs to be done to make the building more energy efficient.
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