Bayside
When students park in the Bayside Lot, they will notice a big change: the lack of the former Bayside Expo Center. Over the summer, construction teams leveled what used to be the expedition halls and have trucked out much of the metal and concrete. The workers have started pulling out what was formerly the halls’ cement floors. With the removal of the building and concrete base, the plan is to use the space to add parking spaces in University of Massachusetts Boston’s biggest parking lot. After talking with building inspectors from the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety, the UMass Boston Housing Authority got permission to pull down the building over safety concerns which included part of the roof collapsing after snow pile up in March 2015. Currently UMass Boston is still waiting for the Department of Environmental Protection to review the plan to add 600 additional parking spaces in Bayside. Until then, Holly Sutherland, the Manager of Master Plan and Construction Communications, said: “we can’t go much further other than crushing up the base lab where we’re at now.” Sutherland furthered that after the review, the lighting and drainage must go in.
Parking
The university announced in an email on Friday Aug. 26 that parking would be even more limited as UMass Boston continues construction in various places on campus. While not saying specifically what would be closed, the email sent by Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Ellen M. O’Connor encouraged students and staff to use public transportation to in order to get to the university. O’Connor noted that at certain times during the year parking in Bayside will be tight. In order to try and ease it UMass Boston now has “two additional satellite parking areas: the Herb Chambers property at 75 Morrissey Blvd, next to the Boston Globe building, and St. Christopher’s Church, across from the Bayside Lot, at 265 Mt. Vernon St.” While the St. Christopher’s lot had been previously available to cars, a large portion of it was blocked by plastic barriers which limited the number of spots. Going forward, the barriers will be shifted so that more space will be made available.
Clark Athletic Center
The Clark Athletic Center is having its roof repaired after the building started leaking. In an email sent out on Aug. 18, UMass Boston announced that the “roof replacement is needed to prevent water intrusion on the new gymnasium floor, lighting, and audio-visual systems.” The repairs are expected to take six to eight weeks. Additionally, covered walkways have been installed for safety. UMass Boston Director of Communications DeWayne Lehman stated that the repairs “shouldn’t impact access.”
Utility Corridor and Roadway Relocation
The entrance to Lot D on Mt Vernon is closed this semester as construction crews continue to work on the Utility Corridor Roadway Relocation (UCRR) part of the 25-year Master Plan, which involves upgrading the entire campus. Despite the entrance closing, Lot D will still be open, but commuters will have to go through a new entrance that goes by the Calf Pasture Pumping Station. Later this semester, a new three-way intersection will be installed in what used to be Lot C next to Peninsula Apartments as crews will be rerouting utility lines under the current three-way intersection off Mt Vernon St. Part of the Quinn Roadway will also be closed in order add utilities. The section that will be demolished runs behind the ice rink and next to the Service and Supply Lot behind the Quinn Administration Building. According to the Aug. 18 email, administration is expecting that “the ramp should be completed in about a month.”
Staff Parking
In an email sent out on Aug. 30 to staff, Director of Transportation Services, Steve Martinson, announced that 100 parking spaces would be available at the John F. Kennedy Library and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute’s (EMKI) libraries. In order to qualify for temporary reserved parking, staff must have been identified as a “long-term parking pass holder.” The email noted that UMass Boston had “worked with our neighbors on Columbia Point to secure 100 additional spaces, which we will make available to long-term pass holders through Sept. 30.” According to the email, the parking spaces are to “be held and monitored by JFK/EMK staff with UMass Boston Public Safety officers assisting.” Parking spaces are to be available only on Monday through Fridays. Martinson added that parking lots would be closed on Sept. 14 at the Kennedy Library and Sept. 16 and 19 at EMKI. EMKI is also requiring staff to leave by 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 21 and 27.
University Hall
University Hall will be fully open for classes this semester. The building being fully opened tomorrow will mean that all the classrooms, chemistry labs, and arts art studios will be ready for students. Previously only a few of the classrooms were ready for use. During the summer semester, several of the chemistry labs were opened for classes, and all art classes except for one were taught in the new building. The Beacon Cafe is also set to open on Sept. 6.
