EAST LANSING - Just in time for the new fall semester, the building trades late last month were wrapping up the renovation of the Snyder/Phillips residence halls.

The adjacent dormitory halls received their first major overhaul since they were built in 1946. The renovation work cost more than $40 million. Renovations to nearby Shaw Hall (completed in 2002) and Mason/Abbott (1997) were also performed by the building trades.

"This was a major project and the tradespeople and contractors really did an outstanding job for us," said Sherry Margraves, MSU's manager for construction maintenance and interior design. "It was a major engineering project and they did it in a short period of time, and got it ready for this semester."

The major part of the project was demolishing the center portion of Snyder Hall and excavating 13 feet below the existing building to allow for easier hookup with steam and other utility lines that snake through the campus. The demolished area of the hall was replaced with a cool food court that has several dining options, art gallery and classrooms.

According to Jeff White, project superintendent for Christman Construction, careful planning for the project allowed for immediately putting to work some 150 construction workers at the project's inception in May 2006. The job peaked out at about 220 workers.

He said the planning and construction process had an added layer of complexity by the interconnection and redundancies (for backup) of steam and electrical lines with other buildings on the campus. "Whatever we did affected other buildings, so it was almost like doing three or four projects at the same time," White said.

The Snyder/Phillips renovation project also included: upgrading the community restrooms, replacing windows, restoring exterior masonry, replacing the fire alarm system, adding an indoor sprinkler system, updating the electrical distribution system, adding an emergency generator, upgrading the ventilation systems, and
improving building accessibility.

"It is important that renovations upgrade our facilities so that they enhance safety while better meeting the needs and wishes of our students," said Charles Gagliano, assistant vice president for Housing and Food Services, when the project was announced. "The renovations will also provide more privacy and space for students, and help the university maintain the residence hall for the next several years."

Approximately 290,000 square feet of space was involved in the renovated portion of the project, and another 87,000 square feet of new space was added.

"The construction crew here has been great to work with, but they really should be called a team," White said. "It takes a team to do some $40 million worth of work in 15 months. These guys were really rolling."

HANDLING WIRE for a VAB box at the Snyder dorm on the Michigan State University campus is Chuck Smith of IBEW Local 665.

Below, grinding a 3-inch steam line is Greg Paksi of Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 33, while Dennis Gordon looks away from the sparks.