Green light for capital projects

Jeff Lamb, director of Facilities Management, at the old Faculty of Management building. (Pearce photo)

A major renovation for the old Faculty of Management building on Coburg Road is going ahead. The project received approval from the Board of Governors at its February meeting. The $8.4 million in funding for the project will come from several sources, including the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Dalhousie.

The old building at 6138-52 Coburg Road consists of two parts. The old church portion of the complex will be dismantled, while 6152 will be completely renovated and upgraded.

The renovated tower will house the College of Continuing Education offices currently located at City Centre Atlantic downtown on Spring Garden Road, and it will contain research space for the Faculty of Computer Science. The area that the church occupies will become a parking lot for now, although it may be developed in the future.

The proposed plans were unveiled to about 50 faculty and staff members last fall at an information presentation. A separate meeting was held for the neighbours in late October. The presentations were designed to show the preliminary work done, and to answer questions about the project.

Tender out

Since those meetings, interior demolition has taken place and the tender has gone out to demolish the old church portion.

Construction costs also have climbed since the fall calculations. An engineering study has shown that some bracing of the high-rise structure is required before the old church is removed.

Jeff Lamb, director of Facilities Management, says renovations are always a challenge because you do not know what lies behind existing walls.

Lamb is pleased with the cooperative approach taken by the architects, Fowler, Bauld, Mitchell, and the future occupants of the building, represented by the Dean of Continuing Education, Andy Cochrane, and the Dean of Computer Science, Norm Scrimger, in dealing with the layout changes that had to be made to keep the project on track.

The reorientation of the building and addition of a multi-story glassed entrance on the south side is a prime example of using collective imagination to overcome budget and layout restrictions. The target completion date for the project is July, 2008.

Another capital project, the Chemical Storage Facility, is awaiting final approval.