CASSIE SLOAN
sloancj@lopers.unk.edu

While some construction sites near completion and are on schedule, there is still one that will be completed later than expected. Last month, the fountain in the middle of campus was pro- jected to be finished. Now, in the middle of November, the fountain is still incom- plete. It has been over a year since the fountain was de- molished in order to repair pipes running underground from the Student Union to 25th Street. Differing com- pletion dates have come and gone since then.

To answer the questions of UNK students, Micheal Cremers, the assistant di- rector of facilities manage- ment and planning, pro- vided some insight. He said that inclement weather was the cause of the delay in the fountain construction. There have been two brief snow storms and numerous days below freezing in the last two months. This cold weather has had an impact on the construction pro- cess, as the well-being of the workers is, of course, being

taken into account. Haus- mann Construction contin- ues to work on the fountain as much as they can, and despite the weather, there has been progress.

The new projected date for the completion of the fountain is spring 2020, Cremers said.

“Construction on the fountain will continue throughout the winter, as weather conditions allow,” Cremers said.

The STEM Building is still on track to be finished by spring of 2020. Everything is running smoothly and is on time.

In preparation for fall 2020 classes, the building

will officially open next August.

As for Warner Hall’s exte- rior construction progress, the concrete is now being poured, as a paver has
come in to finish the job. The lighting for the street is also being installed, with an estimation for the pavement

to be illuminated by this December. Additionally, a large gateway monument
is expected to be built and finished by spring of 2020. All the landscaping and final components are to
be implemented by early spring as well. Currently, the ramp on the east side of the building is completed. The handrail is expected

to be painted in spring. However, the south side of the building continues to be closed because of some code compliance issues discovered during the construction process. These issues are expected to be corrected soon.

Otto Olsen’s projected demolition is still set for the fall 2020 semester. This demolition date has been dependent upon the reloca- tion of facilities and depart- ments within the building and location. Many will be moved to the STEM Build- ing, which must be com- pleted before the relocation process can begin.

When asked if any addi- tional campus construction plans were in the works, Cremers said, “While a va- riety of projects are current- ly being discussed, none exist that are comparable

to the projects discussed previously.”