Major upgrades for aging campus buildings
A sea of bright orange safety vests brightened an otherwise gray day on campus Jan. 11 as construction workers and local representatives joined UVic President David Turpin to officially launch $42.5 million in renovations to six university buildings. The ambitious initiative is part of the Knowledge Infrastructure Program, a joint federal-provincial investment.
The project will upgrade the Clearihue, Cunningham, Elliot, MacLaurin, Cornett and University Centre buildings, all of which were built between 1962 and 1978. The renovations will extend the useful lives of the buildings, which include classrooms and laboratories, while improving safety and reducing maintenance requirements.
Federal Minister of State for Sport and Saanich-Gulf Islands MP Gary Lunn and provincial Minister of Healthy Living and Sport and Oak Bay-Gordon Head MLA Ida Chong joined Turpin in shoveling gravel at the Elliott seismic upgrade project for television and newspaper photographers on campus to cover the event.
Collectively, the upgrade is expected to reduce annual energy costs by $180,000 and reduce CO2 emissions by 700 tonnes per year, the equivalent of taking 134 cars off the road.
“The University of Victoria is very grateful for the benefits we are gaining from the joint federal-provincial stimulus package to support research and teaching infrastructure enhancement at Canadian institutions,” said Turpin. “By renovating existing buildings, students, faculty and staff experience safer, more energy-efficient buildings right away, and the new jobs the program creates in the design, construction and trade sectors provide a welcome stimulus to the economy.”
The renovations will create up to 600 direct jobs by employing six local architectural firms, 21 sub-consulting engineering firms and 34 subcontractors and companies. The projects, some of which are already under way, are expected to be completed by the spring of 2011. Renovations for the buildings include seismic upgrading, enhancement of fire alarms and installation of sprinkler systems, resulting in students, staff and faculty having a safer place to learn and work.
