SEMO CONSTRUCTION: UNIVERSITY HOPES FOR FALL COMPLETION

Southeast Missouri State University's director of facilities management hopes millions of dollars of construction work will be completed by the start of the fall semester.

Director Al Stoverink said the schedule is tight. "There is just not much margin for error," he said.

Students will begin arriving on campus Aug. 18. Fall semester classes begin Aug. 23.

Construction crews are expanding the Student Recreation Center, renovating and expanding the Towers complex and renovating three of the fraternity-sorority buildings.

Stoverink estimated that about 200 construction workers are employed on the campus projects.

The $5 million expansion of the Student Recreation Center is slated to be completed by Aug. 18, said Stoverink.

"We are going to be essentially done," he said, although some work like landscaping may not be completed before the start of school.

Workers will begin installing the wood floor for the two new basketball-volleyball courts and the multipurpose room-dance floors next week.

It could take five to six weeks to install the flooring, Stoverink said.

The project also includes construction of new offices, a large fitness room and a new entrance facing New Madrid Street. The center adjoins the Show Me Center.

The expansion project will about double the size of the Student Recreation Center.

Recreation staff already moved into their new offices, Stoverink said.

Work is well along on improving the Towers residential complex and Greek Housing residence halls for fraternities and sororities.

Renovations to Towers include an expanded computer lab and additional meeting rooms and dining space in the central part of the complex.

"We will still be finishing up various elements through September with furniture installations and landscaping," he said.

Even so, Towers complex will be ready to house students in late August.

This summer, students taking classes and participants at camps have stayed in the Towers dorm rooms even while construction work proceeded on the central part of the complex.

"Everybody has just worked around that," said Stoverink.

Renovation work also is nearing completion on three of the five fraternity and sorority residence halls that make up the Greek Housing complex. The three buildings should be ready for occupancy by the start of the fall semester.

Interior demolition work has started on the other two Greek Housing buildings. Improvements to those two buildings should be completed by January, Stoverink said.

The Greek Housing renovations include installation of air conditioning, new furnishings, floor coverings and windows.

The entrances to the fraternity and sorority buildings also are being modernized, he said.

The university is spending $12.2 million on the Towers and Greek Housing improvements.