o'Colly Cowboy Construction

[snuffy]

Thursday, March 27, 2008
University construction in various stages of completion

The North Classroom Building on Hall of Fame and Monroe Streets is scheduled to be completed in November and ready for classes in spring 2009. It is one of many ongoing projects on and around campus slated for completion in the next two years.
By PETER WOOD
Staff Writer

Old Central:

TAP Architecture and CMS Willowbrook are working on Old Central.

The foundation work for the Old Central building is complete. Efforts have moved to the renovation stage of the project. The companies expect to finished the development February 2009.

Murray Hall:

PSA Dewberry and CMS Willowbrook are working on Murray Hall.

The construction companies have completed internal demolition and asbestos removal. The rebuilding, as well as external work to improve drainage, is well under way. Work on a new auditorium in the courtyard is will begin soon. The companies expect to complete the project June 2009.

Donald W. Reynolds School of Architecture Building:

Studio Architecture and Boldt Construction are working on this project.

Internal demolition in the existing building is complete; Work on new wings on the east and west sides of the building has begun. Expected completion of this project is April 2009.

Interdisciplinary Science Research Building (located next to the Physical Science building):

Rees Associates Architects, Cannon Design and Flintco Constructive Solutions are working on this project.

This area of construction is in its early stages of development, including the foundation work. In the construction process they have erected a crane, and expect the area to be ready for use in May 2010.

North Classroom Building:

LWPB Architecture and Manhattan Construction Company are working on this building.

The steel frame for the new building is complete. The topping out ceremony was Feb. 21 when the companies installed the last piece. They expect to complete the classroom building November and have it ready for classes in the spring 2009 semester.

Multi-modal Transportation Terminal (the bus terminal closer to Hall of Fame) and Monroe Street Parking Garage:

Construction of the garage foundations is complete and installation of precast concrete floors and wall panels is under way.

The foundation for the terminal building is complete, and the frame for the building is nearly done. The parking garage will be ready for use August 2008 and the terminal will be completed about September.

Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (expansion of existing building at west end of Farm Road):

Studio Architects and Flintco Constructive Solutions are working on this project. Next to the Motor Hub on Farm Road, the work on this site will start soon. The project will be completed in the summer of 2009.

Information courtesy of Nigel Jones, Long Range Facilities Planning Office

http://ocolly.com/2008/03/27/university-construction-in-various-stages-of-completion/

[frankeaton]

I am 58 yo and grew up in Stillwater and have never since this much construction, let alone the west end zone.

what is it? the demographics for collage age kids is going down or aleast holding steady

[snuffy]

Thu March 27, 2008
Census: Stillwater growth tops the state

http://newsok.com/article/3221667/1206630594

The estimates released Thursday showed growth in metropolitan areas, those with a population of at least 50,000, and micropolitan areas, those with between 10,000 and 49,999 residents.

Estimated population of the Stillwater area reached nearly 80,000 last year.

It has been mentioned high on lists measuring everything from friendliness to livability to public safety.

"Those types of things do have value when people start looking at where they want to live, work and raise a family," said Larry Brown, president and chief executive officer of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce.

Stillwater's equal distance between Oklahoma City and Tulsa has contributed to its attractiveness, Brown said.

Its largest employer is Oklahoma State University, which has 5,600 workers.

It has become a fertile ground for entrepreneurs.

Steve Irby, a keyboardist who performed in rock bands in high school and college, founded Stillwater Designs in 1973, building custom speakers in his garage. Seven years later, he developed the original Kicker, a full-range enclosed speaker system designed to fit behind the seat in pickup trucks.

The product launched the Kicker car audio brand, which is sold in all 50 states and in more than 60 countries.

"He is a shining example of what people in Stillwater can accomplish," Brown said.

Oklahoma City ranked second on the growth list with 97,568 new residents for an 8.9 percent growth rate and Durant was third at 8.3 percent, followed by Tahlequah at 6.8 percent and Woodward at 5.5 percent.

Tulsa and Shawnee were next, each with 5.4 percent growth, then Ardmore and Ada both with 4.1 percent and Muskogee at 2.4 percent.

[MajorMike]

The kids want the new factor.

[CaliforniaCowboy]

I am 58 yo and grew up in Stillwater and have never since this much construction, let alone the west end zone.

what is it? the demographics for collage age kids is going down or aleast holding steady

Ha... I'm right there with you...

I look at it this way; it's been a long, long time since we've had any real expansion at OSU... when we were there many of the buildings were that old, and many of those are now used for other things. In addition, most of the new construction is not for instruction (at least those projects above), or are replacing structures that were vastly inferior when we were there (architecture).

Gardner and a bunch of those other old buildings were being used when we were there, now there are Art Museums, and other stuff like that in some of those buildings. Murray had just been refurbished and reopened as a dorm when I was there, now many of those dorms are no longer used, or have been completely demolished (Willham, etc.).

I don't see it as an influx of new students that need more room, but rather OSU changing what they are doing and the use of the existing buildings.

You're right that there are fewer college-age kids than there were, but I believe that more kids are going to college now than when we were attending. Back in the 60's and 70's it was a pretty smalll percentage of kids attending college. The percentage of HS kids attending college is higher now, which when factored with the fewer number of HS kids, tends to equal the college student population about the same from decade to decade regardless of the actual number of HS kids...

Supposedly, there is a mini-baby boom on the way as well, as the baby boom generation hurried to have children while they were still of child bearing age, so maybe OSU is just accomodating the present and planning for the future.


Much of the conctruction is for stuff other than an expanding student population, like research labs, sports improvements, transportation, parking structures to replace the lots that sprouted buildings, etc.