September 20, 2022

Building Community: Campus Facilities Update

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

I hope you have had a wonderful start to the fall semester and new academic year! It was a busy and productive summer for Baruch’s Office of Campus Facilities and Operations and continues to be a busy and productive fall.

In addition to high-profile in-house projects, Baruch’s Office of Campus Facilities and Operations is currently managing 25 capital projects in partnership with our City University of New York (CUNY) and Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) counterparts.

I would like to share some noteworthy facilities updates, beginning with some very exciting improvements to student-facing spaces.

Enhancing Student Spaces: In-House Facilities Projects

Percy E. Sutton SEEK Program Office Renovation: Baruch’s SEEK (Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge) Program, located on the second floor of the NVC (right), got a much-deserved facelift, including new LED lighting, carpeting, painting, and design and installation. With its comprehensive programming, SEEK at Baruch serves more than 900 students and leads CUNY’s SEEK programs in achieving student success outcomes.

BOSS (Baruch One Stop Shop) Renovation: Located on the first floor of the NVC, the BOSS space was updated with new LED lighting, carpeting, painting, and furniture design and installation. Learn more about Baruch’s innovative one-stop shop and its services here.

HyFlex Classrooms: Facilities and Operations, in conjunction with BCTC, is in the process of refitting several classrooms with state-of-the-art multimedia equipment to allow them to operate in the new HyFlex format.

Capital Projects and Updates

Newman Vertical Campus (NVC) Projects

• Terrazzo Floor Replacement: The first phase of this project, which began earlier this calendar year, is on schedule to be finished this fall. Remaining areas are expected to be done later this year. Once completed, the next phase will begin. We thank the entire Baruch community for your patience during this renovation.
• Main Gym Bleacher Replacement: This project was completed this summer.
• B-Level Elevator: The elevator transporting occupants from the first floor to the B1, B2, and B3 levels in the NVC remains offline as our vendors seek to secure the parts necessary to repair the elevator.
• Campus Bookstore/New BOSS: In partnership with our DASNY counterparts, Baruch is working with an architectural firm on schematic designs to transform the bookstore space into a new all-inclusive student one-stop shop. This project is in the very early planning stages. As the project progresses, updates will be provided.

Field Building at 17 Lexington Avenue (17 Lex) Projects

• Elevator Service Disruption: One of the six Field Building elevators is currently out of service. While Baruch’s Buildings and Grounds works with our counterpart teams at CUNY and DASNY to rectify the issue, the College has deployed extra Public Safety officers to provide additional assistance to manage the volume of people waiting for elevators. We thank you for your patience and ask, if possible, to allow extra time to reach your destination. Peak elevator times are 10:45 am–12 noon, 2:30–3:45 pm, 4:10–5:25 pm, and 5:50–7:20 pm.
• Renovation: Plans for Phase 2 of the renovation of 17 Lex have been developed. DASNY is coordinating the project’s design, bidding, and construction management. Bidding is expected to take place in the next few weeks, with construction starting in early 2023. Phase 2 should take 24 months to complete. Phase 2 includes new updated, ADA-compliant 1st floor men’s and women’s restrooms and a single use, all gender restroom; new finishes in the Mason Hall lobby; a new elevator for Mason Hall; and removing the 6th floor mezzanine and leveling the floor.
• Facilities Master Plan: The Facilities team, along with various members of Baruch’s faculty and staff leadership, have embarked on a process to update our current Facilities Master Plan as it relates directly to the Field Building, the College’s historic hub. The new plan will balance the efficient use of 17 Lex space with the use of new technologies to meet Baruch’s ever-changing needs.

Information and Technology Building (ITB) Projects

• Elevator Modernization: The first phase of this project, progressing on schedule, addresses increased traffic flow, includes new code-compliant elevator controls, and accommodates additional openings and stops (Phase 2). As we move through the construction process, Campus Facilities and Operations will send individual updates informing occupants of elevator closures. The initial phase of this project is expected to be completed in spring 2023. Below are milestones and a tentative schedule:
• Phase 1: Elevator #9: Completed.
• Phase 2: Elevators #4, #5, and #8: Car 4 has been completed and in service. Car 5 and Car 8 are expected to be running later this month.
• Phase 3: Elevators #3, #6, and #7: Expected completion end of 2022.
• Phase 4: Elevators #1 and #2: Expected completion Spring 2023.
• Roof Replacement: Due to ongoing vendor issues, the remaining upper roof work has not begun. We will continue to collaborate with our vendor to start this project as quickly as possible.

Administration Building Projects

• Sidewalk Scaffolding Installation on the South Campus: Local Law 11 work (a comprehensive evaluation of the existing façade construction and necessary related repairs) will continue, and the sidewalk scaffolding along the Administration Building will remain as we move to address the east and south façades of the building. This project is on schedule and expected to be completed later this fall.
• Sidewalk Excavation Work: The effort to remove the existing sidewalk leading up to the Administration Building front doors, originally scheduled for mid-April, has been postponed. This work will commence once the Local Law 11 evaluation has been completed (see above).

Steven L. Newman Hall Elevator: This project has been completed, and the elevator is back in use.

Annex Building Projects

• Window Replacement: The landlord of the Annex Building—a rental property that the College partially occupies—is preparing plans to replace all of the building’s windows. For this two-phase project, starting this year, Baruch’s team had the landlord perform a “mock up” window installation on the 10th floor to determine schedule and identify possible issues. Over the coming weeks, we expect a full schedule from the landlord for Baruch’s spaces. The Facilities team will coordinate scheduling with both the landlord’s team and the Baruch occupants to minimize operational disruptions as much as possible.
• Additional Improvements: The other portion of this work, set to take place in summer 2023, includes replacing ceilings and sprinkler work, part of the window replacement project. Much-needed additional improvements will include new bathroom fixtures, carpeting, flooring, painting, and lighting.

Cross-Campus Projects

• Campus-wide Door Replacement: This project is substantially complete.
• Restroom Renovation Projects: We are currently renovating restrooms in three campus buildings: the Administration Building, NVC, and ITB. We have unfortunately encountered several supply chain issues and await critical material in order to fully complete the first phase of work at the Administration Building. Phase 2 areas, also under construction, are single-use, all-gender restrooms on the first floor of the Administration Building, the first floor of the ITB, and the third floor at the NVC. Phase 2 is expected to be completed this year.
• Chiller Replacement and Associated Piping Project in the ITB and NVC: This project is coming to a close, with work on the final details of the building management system expected in October. To date, Baruch’s engineers are able to control temperature throughout the North Campus.

In addition to the projects listed above, many other spaces around campus received interior upgrades, such as painting and carpeting, designed and managed by Baruch’s in-house Interior Designer Jodi Ling, with assistance from our B&G staff. Great job, all!

Health and Safety

Thank you to the Facilities and B&G staff, who worked diligently over the summer to prepare the campus for us all. Members of B&G’s Custodial ECT (Enhanced Cleaning Team) continue to conduct routine cleaning of high-touch areas throughout campus, and B&G custodians will provide paper towels and spray bottles of cleaning solutions for individual use.

To all in the campus community, thank you for your interest, continued patience, and cooperation and stay tuned for more updates and progress in the months to come.

Sincerely,

Larry Manganello, MBA, CFM

Assistant Vice President, Campus Facilities and Operations