Summer Facilities Projects Planned

The demolition of Carey Hall and installation of a new door access and security system are among other facilities projects scheduled this summer. Carey will be razed in mid-June, a process that will generate loud noise in the early stages and take about six to eight weeks to complete. Workers will restore the site, cap the utilities and close off the east exterior wall of Lee Hall, which is connected to Carey and will be preserved for possible future renovation if private funding is secured. Carey has been vacant since 2005. Its removal will save NMU $60,000 per year in utility costs and eliminate potential liability issues. The estimated project cost is $800,000.

All building entry doors soon will be controlled electronically by a computer system capable of locking/unlocking them in a matter of seconds. The $1.6 million project will improve efficiencies and enhance security if an emergency lockdown is required. NMU was required to make the investment because the door access system being replaced is no longer supported and parts cannot be obtained for repairs.

“Once this project is complete we will be phasing out the exterior door keys and all exterior access will be card access,” said Mike Bath (Public Safety and Police Services). “If someone loses a key, you have to re-key the building. If someone loses a card, you just deactivate it and replace it with a new one. A lot of people are using cards now anyway, so there won’t be much noticeable impact on employees. But from a safety standpoint, the potential value is significant.”  

Housing was the first to convert to a new door access and security system for residence halls and apartments. Most of the remaining 19 buildings should be online by August.

“Housing’s system is wireless,” said Brandon Sager (Engineering and Planning). “The one being installed this summer is a combination of wired and wireless. It’s a little different, but from the same company. The doors can be unlocked and locked on a programmed schedule or through Public Safety.”

Luke Guindon (Public Safety and Police Services) is working with contractors and will maintain the system after the installation is complete.

“In the past, each bank of entry doors to a building had one with a green decal that could be controlled electronically,” said Guindon. “”The rest had to be manually locked and unlocked individually by the custodial staff. Now we’re adding that electric strike to all of them. We’ve had about 70 stand-alone-doors that weren’t connected to the system. Now we will be able to program each and they will all be tied together. It will also be easier to monitor who goes in and out through the main system.”

Whitman, New Science, West Science, Hedgcock and the Learning Resources Center are already online. Sager said Thomas Fine Arts and McClintock will follow, with installation scheduled to begin next week.

Other notable summer projects and their estimated costs are: Cohodas Hall chiller installation to replace 36-year-old unit ($463,000); Phase III Marketplace renovation ($450,000); Learning Resources Center roof replacement ($475,000) and exterior façade restoration ($246,000); and Kaye House roof replacement (cost pending Board of Trustees approval of bids at its July meeting).