LEE PYE
Staff Writer
After four years of obstructed access, the roof of the Maytum-McEwen-Reed plaza is finally open for students to walk on.
On Nov. 29, a portion of the area that was previously under construction surrounding McEwen Hall, Reed Library and Maytum Hall, opened up to the public.
The sections were blocked off by caution tape and fences for four years due to the Capital Project, construction that aimed to renovate multiple sections of the area.
Fredonia’s Director of Facilities Planning Markus Kessler said that the construction fund with SUNY Fredonia agreed to take the fences down, since the construction stopped and most of the fenced-in areas no longer needed to be fenced-in.
Fourth-year students will now be able to walk on the roof, which they haven’t been able to do since their first year.
Last year, the construction was put on pause because the original contractor, Savarino Companies, went bankrupt.
Before the fencing got taken down, Kenneth Schmitz, the Capital Project manager, said, “Nothing is being worked on right now. The contractor has gone bankrupt. Not because of this project, but because of a project that they have with the Dormitory Authority at Alfred State. So they have filed for bankruptcy.”
He elaborated, “When that happens, every contract that’s bid has a bond and a bonding company associated with it. So if the contractor defaults, or we can’t get them to do the work, or they go bankrupt, that company takes it over. You can imagine the legal mess that comes with that.”
Now, it seems the “legal mess” is getting cleaned up.
A different construction company is taking over the project. Loewke & Brill Consulting Group Inc. was hired by the bonding company to finish what was started.
Loewke & Brill is a construction company that works on unfinished projects and completes the project themselves.
Another definition comes from their website, loewkebrill.com: “Loewke Brill is uniquely qualified to notice construction problems before they start and keep your project moving at the anticipated pace.”
Kessler said, “I don’t know this firm that well. It’s the first time we will ever be working with them. From my and [Schmitz’s] research, they seem to be a reputable company.” He continued, “[T]hey have a good reputation of coming in [and] finishing up what needs to be finished in a very satisfactory conclusion for the end of the project.”
This also includes the factor of time.
Loewke & Brill works quickly, and jumps from project to project. After all the correct paperwork is completed, they will start as soon as possible and finish as soon as possible.
With Savarino Companies no longer in the picture, the people at Loewke & Brill recognize that things might not be up to par.
Savarino Companies continuously had to redo their work because it was either not up to code or unsatisfactory, but now that a new company has stepped in, the main goal is to just get the project done.
Kessler said, “Even if there is some work that we may not be 100% satisfied with, we’re going to probably have to live with it. It’s not [the kind of] work that will be an issue down the road.”
According to Kessler, unsatisfactory work that will end up being accepted refers to relatively minute things like the paint color being slightly off its expected appearance.
Now that a new company is set to take over the project, construction will start again in the spring.
Some renovations that still need to be completed include flattening the lawn where the trucks came and went, as well as putting in a walkway in that area. There are also patches of the Reed Library stairs that need to be worked on, and a chunk of precast concrete must be installed at the Library’s entrance, where the new canopy is.
The main reason the company hasn’t started construction yet is because of the weather — asphalt plants are shut down during the winter months because it is very difficult to properly lay concrete and asphalt in the middle of winter.
These plants need to open in order to receive the necessary equipment. Once the cold weather breaks, the company will resume construction no later than June, and as soon as April or May.
As of now, the Reed Library steps are still blocked off, along with the small stairwell next to the Carnahan-Jackson Center. A part of the stairwell that is across from the Thompson Hall parking lot is fenced off to direct traffic until all of the construction blockades are removed.
The amphitheater is still closed due to cautionary reasons, and to make sure everything is finalized for that specific area.
When the amphitheater opens back up, clubs and students are encouraged to use it, especially for sound and lighting purposes.
Places that are now open include the grass outside of McEwen, the doors to Reed Library facing Mason Hall, the wheelchair-accessible ramp next to the Reed Library stairs, and the outside roof of McEwen Hall on the second story of the building.
Reed Library is now accessible from the now-opened outside walkway connecting McEwen and Maytum Hall, the stairwell across the Thompson Hall parking lot, from the inside-second-story of Reed Library and from the inside of McEwen on floor 1.
People are encouraged to walk in the recently-opened areas.
Kessler said, “I’ve been here for 25 years now, and I’ve always been perplexed to the fact that the quadrangle doesn’t get used as often as I thought a quadrangle would get used. I’m hoping [that] now, [because of] what we’re doing with the plaza, it will get used.”
Dan Quagliana, a student supervisor at Reed Library, said that, “People have been looking at the seats on the outside [of the library] for four years without being able to use them, and I for one am excited to actually be able to.”
He hopes the library will use their roof for events when the weather gets warmer, as, “There’s a lot of open space up there that they can use to attract a lot of students.”
The construction, after over four years, is estimated to end in August or September of 2024.
Every blockade will be gone and every section of the quad will be open.
Dan Quagliana, who was interviewed for this article, is the News Editor of The Leader.
