Sinclair Community College has a multitude of construction projects occurring now and over the summer.
According to Elizabeth Verzi, manager of facilities, planning and construction, most projects are “repair and restoration,” including work on the student parking garage.
“We’re going to tear out the Mead Street entrance. The concrete needs replacing,” Verzi said
The contractor for the project is Ram Construction, whom Verzi said Sinclair has previously worked with. Last year, Ram tore out the Fifth Street entrance to the garage and replaced the concrete there. Verzi said Sinclair usually does this sort of repair every year.
Students and other visitors to Sinclair will be rerouted to the Fifth Street entrance if they approach the Mead Street entrance during construction. Construction is slated to be completed by September 1st. Verzi said that projects that occur over the summer are always slated to be completed before the start of fall quarter
“Last year we washed the outside of the garage, this year we’re sealing the concrete. That keeps it clean and maintains the concrete for a long time,” Verzi said.
Sinclair is working on other smaller projects as well.
“We have another project in Building 14, it’s House Bill 251. We’re changing out light fixtures in the forum,” Verzi said.
Ohio House Bill 251, passed under Gov. Bob Taft in 2006, is concerned with reducing energy consumption.
“It’s a mandate to reduce energy usage,” said Kevin Shively, assistant director of facilities, planning and construction
Sinclair will be changing light fixtures–plus making changes to heating and air in accordance with the bill–all throughout the school.
Verzi also said that Sinclair is working on projects year round, like moving classrooms and offices.
“We’re putting multimedia in the classrooms, like projectors and podiums,” Verzi said.
Verzi lists standardizing the classroom technologies across campus as a goal of the project, because it will make it easier for teachers who use multiple rooms to seamlessly move from one room to another.
Before any construction can begin, a process to acquire the necessary funds must occur.
“We start with a capital request process. Budget managers put in a capital request, and then it goes to the dean and directors of each department, and the dean and directors either approve or disapprove the project.”
The process then moves to the vice presidents of each department, and ultimately the project must be approved by the Board of Trustees and the finance committee.
If the project is approved by the board of trustees and the finance committee, the project can be put up for public bid. Sinclair must by law publicly advertise the project for three consecutive weeks to open the bidding process, according to Verzi.
Once Sinclair has found a bidder, the state attorney general must give final approval before the project can be started.