• Matthew Razek
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Starting to Look Like a Building!!

The new Student Center has come a long way over the course of the last few weeks! The construction crews have started to add plumbing lines to the basement (those are the copper lines that you see starting to be enclosed by the cinder blocks). The delivery and installation of the building ventilation system has also begun, though it is not yet functional.

With the addition of steel and pan-decking for the first and second floor of the new student center, the building is now “back-filled to grade.” This means that previously the building was being supported by steel braces. However, it is now being supported by itself! The entire building is now being supported by the ground (sand, dirt, etc.) that it sits on and will continue to be for the duration of the construction period. One of the pictures shows the back end of Halas Recreation Center. That will be yet another tunnel in the building that will connect Halas and the new Student Center…though students won’t be able to access it! Several of the pictures are taken from a first floor “vantage point.” These highlight the Residential Dining Facility and the spirit shop (to be named by a LOYOLA STUDENT!!) on the first floor. The north end of the building has steel creating an outline of two floors. The south end will gradually be completed in sequence.

As you know, Chicago is known as the “Windy City”. With all of the wind we’ve been having lately, construction crews needed to shut down for one day because of the high gusts. Other than this day, they are enjoying the beautiful weather and construction is right on progress. We are set to open the new Student Center in just about one year!!

Stay tuned for more updates as the structure of the new student center continues to progress! To get a glimpse of the architects depiction of the new Student Center and other projects around campus, take a look at the signage around the green fences at the construction sites that were installed last Friday!