Upcoming Knoll area improvements to cause building access issues

Infrastructure improvements in the historic Knoll area beginning this spring will cause some access issues for buildings in the area.

The project, which will include electrical, sewer, and roadway improvements, is split into two phases. Phase one will take place from May 16 through October 31 of this year. Phase two will begin on May 14, 2020, and last through September 4.

General Access Issues

During phase one, all metered parking on East River Road next to the Education Sciences Building will be removed and contract parking behind the Child Development building will be closed. Those with contracts will be notified by Transportation Services about alternative accommodations. Contract parking will reopen after the completion of phase one. Parking along Pattee and Shevlin Halls also will be closed, however there may be limited access.

Phase one will also see the closure of Pillsbury Drive from Pleasant Street to East River Road and East River Road from University Avenue to the metered parking lot behind Burton Hall. There will be limited to no access on the drive between Pattee and Shevlin Halls from Pillsbury Drive to East River Road during phase one. This area will be closed completely during phase two.

The project will affect Metro Mobility access to Pattee Hall, the Institute on Community Integration, the Institute of Child Development, the Education Sciences Building, and Peik Hall during both phases. During construction, two modified locations will be set up: the Jones Eddy bus stop on Pleasant Avenue and the meter parking lot area by Elliot Hall. Metro Mobility access to the Education Sciences Building by the low level near the bridge will remain open.

Specific Building Impacts

Burton Hall. The courtyard between Burton and Shevlin Hall will be closed and the vendor parking spots will be permanently shut down.

Education Sciences Building. The cooling for the Education Sciences Building will be cut over to a new chilled water main, so there will be temporary cooling in the building as existing pipes are removed and replaced. The east entrances of the building will be temporary closed for phase one and the nearby parking lot (C20) will be permanently closed. Also, the official vehicle parking spots on the lower level will be temporarily closed, but paratransit accommodations will be available.

Institute of Child Development. In phase one, ICD Drive will remain open from the south on East River Road and closed in phase two. Nearby parking lots C47 and C48 will be impacted in phase one and closed in phase two. Parking lot C49 will be closed throughout phase one. Access to the ICD Lab School will remain open using the existing drive in phase one and parking lot C49 in phase two. The building’s loading dock will be closed during phase one.

Pattee Hall. Modifications to fire sprinkler mains and the installation of a new water heater will require access to office areas. Whether that entails minor interruptions or temporary office relocations will be determined once the contractor is ready to schedule the work. There will be plenty of notice before the work is scheduled. ICD Drive will remain open from the south on East River Road in phase one, but will be closed for phase two. Also, ICD Drive contract parking lots (C47 and C48) will be impacted in phase one and closed altogether in phase two.

Peik Hall/Peik Gymnasium. The loading dock for Piek Hall will be closed and, for a short time, the ACA entrance will be closed as well. The project also will necessitate the closure of the southwest entrance to Peik Gym.

Shevlin Hall. ICD Drive will remain open from East River Road in phase one, closed in phase two. Contract parking lots C47 and C48 will be impacted in phase one and closed in phase two. The accessibility ramp also will be closed in phase two.

Stay Informed
There are several ways to stay informed of the project’s progress:

Project Newsletter. Sign up for a bi-weekly project newsletter. Visit the Capital Project Management website, locate the Knoll Area Infrastructure Improvements project, and select the newsletter sign-up link.

Website. The Parking and Transportation website will be posting project news and alerts on a regular basis.

Phone. For urgent issues, contact the Facilities Management Call Center at 612-624-2900.

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