New sidewalks are being installed around UNK’s campus. The sidewalks will be added by the Nebraska Student Union and the east side of the Fine Arts Building.
Michael Cremers, director of Facilities Management and Planning, said a plaza master plan was obtained in preparation for the construction of the statues of the two heads placed by the NSU.
“What we’re doing is installing sidewalks that will travel on either side of those two heads and create a connection from the fountain area over to the main entrance of the NSU,” Cremers said.
Repairs have also been done near the FAB. New concrete was added near the building’s art wing to correct drainage issues coming off the parking lot by raising the curb line.
Cremer said the sidewalk on the east side of the building is being paved where there was “an obvious path folks wanted to use, worn into the grass area.”
The sidewalk just north of the library is also being repaired in areas where the sidewalk has sunk and created a low spot.
Angela Messere, a junior business administration major, said that while she thinks the construction is overall a good thing, it is also disruptive.
“Obviously there is some need for construction, especially that sidewalk by the Fine Arts Building,” Messere said. “I understand that was needed because you could see there were paths and worn down stuff, but it can be disruptive to students and their walkways.”
Cremers said he is hopeful the new sidewalks will be completed by early November.
“Within a month, I would say they’ll both be done,” Cremers said. “The one over at the NSU is going to take some significant re-grading in that area, so that might take a little bit longer than the others.”
A new sidewalk was also recently installed across the green space near the Randall Hall entrance.
Cremers said there is a certain amount of money put aside for emergencies and different types of projects that come up.
“We just have to prioritize what we can and can’t do based on the resources available,” Cremers said.
