Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
We inform. You decide.
Thursday, March 28, 2024
NEWS  |  CAMPUS

Physical Plant hard at work on construction projects

You may have noticed a surge of construction on campus lately, but according to the UF Physical Plant Division, it’s just business as usual.

Among the recent and upcoming projects are the new concrete benches around “the potato” on Turlington Plaza, the overhaul of the ground on Plaza of the Americas, the repaving of the street around Norman Hall and the refurbishment of the UF bandshell.

The division — the unsung hero of UF construction — handles all of the maintenance, utilities and construction projects around campus, costing anywhere from $500 to $2 million.

Jeff Bair has been at PPD for 12 years as a project manager, and he’s worked on quite a few construction projects around campus.

“From something as small as moving a door to as big as renovating an entire building,” he said.

Bair said he has not seen any major changes in budget allocation in the time he’s been working. Also, there isn’t any recent surge in construction projects, he said.

The Plaza of the Americas project involved a damaged steam line that was leaking and needed to be replaced. It was an emergency project that took two and a half months to finish, costing about $300,000.

The benches on Turlington were rotted out and became dangerous, according to Rod Clements, another PPD project manager.

The wooden benches were high maintenance, so they were replaced with concrete ones, he said. The project cost $5,000.

There’s been some construction around Norman, as well, but that’s covered by the city because it’s not actually on the campus itself, Bair said. According to Harold Barrand, the associate director of PPD, it also just finished refurbishing the band building. It built a brand new practice room and converted the old one into a practice hall for $750,000. PPD will refurbish the UF  bandshell at Flavet Field, but Student Government will supply the money.

There are about 250 upcoming projects.

“Fortunately, not all of those projects have to be done today,” Bair said.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox
Support your local paper
Donate Today
The Independent Florida Alligator has been independent of the university since 1971, your donation today could help #SaveStudentNewsrooms. Please consider giving today.

Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2024 The Independent Florida Alligator and Campus Communications, Inc.