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Construction Project Updates

Monday, June 20, 2016: Ground-level construction begins

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Concrete pours continue this week as the basement wall construction finishes up and work on the ground level commences.

CONSTRUCTION SITE WORK

  • Basement walls. Concrete pours and waterproofing for the basement walls continues this week. There has been good progress on this work, with more than half the basement walls complete.
  • Construction begins on the ground floor. As construction of the basement walls continues to move forward, crews will begin to assemble the concrete forms for the basement ceiling/ground-level floor.
  • Construction site tree removal. The construction site plans, as approved by the City of Minneapolis, include the removal of four trees along South 6th Street as well as the street trees on the west side of 21st Avenue South between South 6th and South 8th streets. These trees are scheduled to be removed in the next month. The four trees on South 6th Street will be replaced in the summer of 2017 with seven 3-inch oaks, providing tighter spacing and a denser canopy on the north side of the Hagfors Center. The street trees along 21st Avenue South will also be replaced in the summer of 2017, with nine new trees–two species in an alternating pattern–along that street.
  • City water service work. Augsburg commuter street parking will be restricted this week on 21st Avenue South  between South 7th and South 8th streets for City of Minneapolis water service work.

CONTINUEd Utility work West of OREN GATEWAY CENTER

Xcel Energy is continuing the electrical service rerouting work for the Hagfors Center on the west side of Oren Gateway Center. City of Minneapolis sidewalk closures and parking restrictions may continue on 21st Avenue South as a result.

Monday, June 13, 2016: First concrete pour for the basement floor

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Basement floor plan
The partial basement space houses labs that require darkness.

The Hagfors Center basement is starting to take shape. The building has a partial basement in the north-south wing. There is no basement in the east-west wing. The image at the right shows the floor plan of the partial basement and its location just north of the building’s main entrance.

CONSTRUCTION SITE WORK

  • Basement walls and floor. Concrete pours for the basement floor will begin this week (contingent on weather), and basement walls will continue to be installed. Waterproofing on the basement walls will also continue this week.
  • Footings and foundations. Concrete pours for footings and foundations for the remainder of the building—the main entrance area and the east-west wing—will also continue this week.
  • Storm water and foundation drainage. Work will continue this week on the storm water utility and foundation drainage system on the site.
  • South 7th Street removed. The closed section of South 7th Street (between 20th and 21st avenues) was removed after Xcel Energy disconnected and removed the utility poles from the area.

WORK CONTINUES NEAR OREN GATEWAY CENTER

Xcel Energy is continuing to work on electrical service rerouting for the Hagfors Center. As a result, City of Minneapolis sidewalk closures and parking restrictions may continue on 21st Avenue South west of Oren Gateway Center.

Monday, June 6, 2016: Entering the second month of construction

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Construction of the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion is now in its second month. Since the groundbreaking ceremony at the end of April, excavation started and a majority of the soil export has been completed; the last house on the site was demolished; the tower crane was installed, and the foundation walls have begun to take shape. Below is a timelapse video of the first month of construction, followed by a summary of work expected on the construction site and the west end of campus this week.

 

One-minute time-lapse video of Hagfors Center construction site, May 2016.

The images are photos of the construction site from a camera on top of the building across 21st Avenue South, facing west. The site is surrounded by a construction fence and is traversed by South 7th Street, which is now closed between 20th and 21st avenues. To the north of South 7th Street, the site is all dirt, with several trucks and construction vehicles parked on it. To the south of South 7th Street, what was formerly parking lot F is still paved. That section of the site has construction trailers, tool sheds, worker vehicles, and some materials on it.

In the first 10 seconds of the time-lapse video, excavation vehicles begin to dig on the north side of the site. They continue to dig through the rain, when the camera lens is obstructed by raindrops. The skies clear, and the digging continues, primarily removing soil to get the site at grade with the sidewalk level. In addition, the concrete pad for the tower crane is poured during this time.

By the 15-second mark, worker vehicles no longer appear in the area south of South 7th Street. The area is taken up by trailers and tool sheds and is used from this point forward for materials staging.

About 22 seconds into the time-lapse video, the initial construction of the tower crane is visible on the north side of South 7th Street. The lower half of the tower crane mast, which is several stories high, is put in place. Meanwhile, the excavation continues; there is significant truck and excavation vehicle traffic on the site, and the hole for the basement and foundation begins to be visible just north of the closed section of South 7th Street.

At 29 seconds, the tower crane mast is complete at more than 150 feet, and the horizontal arms are beginning to be constructed. By 31 seconds, the working arm of the tower crane, the long arm that carries the load along a trolley, is complete. Soil excavation and hauling continues for the next 10 seconds of the time-lapse video. Concrete trucks also appear during this time, as the concrete pours for the footings and foundations have begun.

At 46 seconds into the time-lapse video, the first section of foundation wall appears, which runs mostly in an east-west direction just north of the closed section of South 7th Street. Then a second section appears. It runs primarily north-south and does not connect with the first section. At 51 seconds, the first two sections are joined by a third section, which also runs north-south and forms a 90-degree corner with the first section.

At 53 seconds, the final house remaining on the construction site is removed. In the last seconds of the time-lapse video, the first foundation wall is extended to the east, and the video ends with that corner of the foundation wall at that stage.

CONSTRUCTION SITE WORK

  • Footings and foundations. The work on the footings and foundations continues, and more basement walls will be installed and become visible as the work progresses. Concrete pours will continue on a daily basis until the foundations are completed.
  • Piping and electrical. Underground piping and electrical utilities will begin to be installed this week.
  • Continued drilling for installation of elevator hydraulic shaft. The drilling for the elevator hydraulic shaft will continue, but is expected to be complete this week.
  • Utility pole removal. Power poles on South 7th Street are still anticipated to be disconnected and removed by Xcel Energy.

PARKING LOTS A AND D Re-opened

Parking lots A and D are re-opened for staff and faculty permitted parking. Additional lighting will be added to the lots later this summer. There are long procurement lead times for the lighting fixtures; the Facilities Department is waiting for confirmation of the expected delivery date before planning the additional lighting installation schedule.

UTILITY WORK CONTINUES NEAR OREN GATEWAY CENTER

City of Minneapolis sidewalk closures and parking restrictions may continue on 21st Avenue South as work continues on reconstruction and equipment installation on the west side of Oren Gateway Center.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016: Footings and foundations are taking shape

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Thank you for your help with safety in and around the construction site! Members of the campus and the community help to keep the construction area safe by ensuring that no unauthorized personnel enter the construction site at any time. Only authorized personnel–wearing hard hats and safety vests–should enter the site.

CONSTRUCTION SITE WORK

Work expected on the construction site this week includes the following:

  • Mass soil removal is largely complete. Most of the mass removal of dirt from the construction site has been completed. While there may continue to be some dirt removal from the site, the extensive trucking of excavated soil is largely finished.
  • Footings and foundations. Concrete pouring for the footings and foundation walls is underway, and some of the foundation and basement walls are now visible on the site. Concrete pours will continue on a daily basis until the foundations are completed.
  • Continued drilling for installation of elevator hydraulic shaft. Drilling will continue in preparation for installation of the freight elevator hydraulic shaft.
  • Utility pole removal. Power poles on South 7th Street will be disconnected and removed by Xcel Energy in the next several weeks. A reminder that South 7th Street is permanently closed between 20th and 21st avenues. For everyone’s safety, pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles should not attempt to traverse the construction site on that street.

Work resumes on PARKING LOTS A AND D

Striping and curb stops are scheduled to be completed this week for parking lots A and D. The lots will re-open once that work is completed. Additional lighting will be added to the lots later this summer. There are long procurement lead times for the lighting fixtures; the Facilities Department currently is waiting for confirmation of the expected delivery date before planning the additional lighting installation schedule.

UTILITY WORK CONTINUES NEAR OREN GATEWAY CENTER

Reconstruction and equipment installation continues on the west side of Oren Gateway Center. City of Minneapolis parking restrictions may be posted on 21st Avenue South as this work continues.

Inclusive Contracting

Augsburg is committed to hiring businesses based in the ZIP codes surrounding the central corridor, minority-owned businesses, and women-owned businesses for a minimum of 10 percent of total construction costs of the Hagfors Center project. Currently, designs are complete and out for bid for the exterior core, shell, and landscaping work.

Local, minority-owned and women-owned construction businesses may contact Karin McCabe, director of outreach for McGough Construction, at 651-634-4615 or kmccabe@mcgough.com for information about McGough’s pre-qualification process for sub-contractors.

 

Monday, May 23, 2016: Concrete pouring begins for footings and foundations

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Concrete pours for footings and foundation walls begin this week. Members of the campus and the community are reminded that no unauthorized personnel — including pedestrians, cyclists, or vehicles — should enter the fenced area of the construction site, even when the construction site gates are open during the work day.

This includes the gates on 20th and 21st avenues at South 7th Street. That 1-block section of South 7th Street is permanently closed and is part of the construction site. Only authorized personnel, wearing hard hats and safety vests, should enter the site at any time.

PARKING LOTS A AND D REMAIN CLOSED

Parking lots A and D are scheduled to be striped after June 1; the lots will remain closed until that work is complete. Once an opening date is confirmed for the lots, Facilities will communicate the date via Amail.

CONSTRUCTION SITE WORK

Activities expected this week on the construction site include the following:

  • Footings and foundations. Concrete pouring for the footings and foundation walls will begin this week. This will involve frequent concrete pours and ongoing truck traffic on and around the construction site.
  • Drilling for installation of elevator hydraulic shaft. Drilling will begin this week to prepare for installation of the freight elevator hydraulic shaft. Construction crews will use a rig similar to a well-driller to drill to the required depths for this work.
  • Utility pole removal. Xcel Energy will be disconnecting and removing power poles on South 7th Street in the next few weeks. As noted above, South 7th Street is permanently closed between 20th and 21st avenues. For everyone’s safety, pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles should not attempt to traverse the construction site on that street.  
  • Demolition of the house at 623 20th Avenue South. Utility disconnection is still pending on the house located on the construction site. Once the utility providers complete the disconnection work, the house will be scheduled for demolition.
  • Tower crane installation complete. The tower crane has been installed. As previously noted, it will not be locked in position when not in use, but will be allowed to rotate (as a weather vane does) with the wind. This is done for safety purposes, and it means that the crane may rotate even when there is no operator.

UTILITY WORK continues near OREN GATEWAY CENTER

Reconstruction and equipment installation continues on the west of Oren Gateway Center, and City of Minneapolis parking restrictions may remain in force on 21st Avenue South during this time. The utility work on the west side of Anderson Residence Hall is largely complete.

INCLUSIVITY IN CONTRACTING

As a member of the Central Corridor Anchor Partnership, Augsburg is committed to hiring businesses based in the ZIP codes surrounding the central corridor, minority-owned businesses, and women-owned businesses for a minimum of 10 percent of total construction costs of the Hagfors Center project. Local, minority-owned and women-owned construction businesses can contact Karin McCabe, director of outreach for McGough Construction, at 651-634-4615 or kmccabe@mcgough.com for information about McGough’s pre-qualification process for sub-contractors.

Monday, May 16, 2016: Earth work continues

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Excavation and dirt hauling will continue at the construction site for the next several weeks. McGough Construction is working in coordination with the City of Minneapolis to minimize traffic congestion and accommodate safety on and around the construction site during this time. As always, pedestrians and drivers should proceed with care around the construction site to ensure their safety and that of others on campus.

PARKING LOTS A AND D REMAIN CLOSED

Parking lots A and D remain closed for work to expand Lot D into the former tennis court area and to resurface Lot A. Once an opening date is confirmed, Facilities will communicate the date via Amail.

CONSTRUCTION SITE WORK

Activities expected this week on the construction site include the following:

  • Construction site safety. For everyone’s safety, no unauthorized personnel should enter the fenced area. The construction site gates will be open during the work day, but only authorized personnel should enter the site at any time. All authorized personnel on the site will wear hard hats and safety vests.
  • Truck traffic for excavation and concrete pouring. There will continue to be significant truck traffic on the site and to/from the site as excavation and dirt hauling continue. Over the next several weeks, as the soil export work continues, trucks will be temporarily lined up along 20th and 21st avenues south and along South 8th Street in order to make soil loading and hauling as efficient as possible. A traffic flagger will be on site to monitor truck traffic and provide traffic assistance as needed.
  • Tower crane installation. The concrete pad is poured, and the tower crane will be erected this week. The tower is more 100 feet tall. For safety purposes, it will not be locked in position when not in use, but will be allowed to rotate (as a weather vane does) with the wind. As a result, the crane may rotate even if there is no operator.
  • Construction trailers. One additional construction trailer will be added to the site this week. Metal tool sheds will be moved to and from the site throughout the construction project as various sub-contractors are engaged in different stages of the work.
  • Demolition of the house at 623 20th Avenue South. Demolition of the house located on the construction site is anticipated to occur during the week of May 16. McGough Construction will ensure proper safety precautions are taken for removal of the structure.

UTILITY WORK NEAR ANDERSON RESIDENCE HALL AND OREN GATEWAY CENTER

Equipment installation work is in progress on the west side of Anderson Residence Hall to support additional temporary power service for the construction site, Reconstruction also continues west of Oren Gateway Center to create an expanded area for utilities support equipment. City of Minneapolis parking restrictions may remain in force on 21st Avenue South until this work is completed. A screening fence for the area will be added to that area later during the summer.

Inclusivity in Contracting

As a member of the Central Corridor Anchor Partnership, Augsburg is committed to hiring businesses based in the ZIP codes surrounding the central corridor, minority-owned businesses, and women-owned businesses for a minimum of 10 percent of total construction costs of the Hagfors Center project. Local, minority-owned and women-owned construction businesses can contact Karin McCabe, director of outreach for McGough Construction, at 651-634-4615 or kmccabe@mcgough.com for information about McGough’s pre-qualification process for sub-contractors.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016: Open house for sub-contractors and suppliers

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McGough Construction and Augsburg College are hosting an informational open house on Wednesday, May 11 from 2–3:30 p.m. in Augsburg’s Christensen Center, Marshall Room, to help connect local, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses to potential contracting opportunities related to the construction of the Hagfors Center. Representatives from the McGough project team and the contracted mechanical and electrical sub-contractors will be on hand. Technical assistance will be available to help businesses understand McGough’s pre-qualification process.

Monday, May 9, 2016: Excavation under way

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Construction on the Hagfors Center has begun! Below is a summary of activities expected to take place this week.

PARKING LOTS A AND D REMAIN CLOSED

Lots A and D remain closed for work to expand Lot D into the former tennis court area and to resurface Lot A. Next week’s update, Monday, May 16, will include a timeline for completion of this work and information about when people can park in those lots again.

CONSTRUCTION SITE WORK

Activities expected this week on the construction site include the following:

  • Construction site safety. The construction site fence installation is complete. For everyone’s safety, people should stay outside of fenced area at all times. The construction site gates will be open during the work day, but only authorized personnel should enter the site at any time. All authorized personnel on the site will wear hard hats and safety vests.
  • Truck traffic for excavation and concrete pouring. There will be significant truck traffic on the site and to/from the site this week as excavation and dirt hauling proceed. Pouring the concrete for the tower crane pad is also scheduled this week and will result in significant truck traffic over the course of several hours during that work. A police officer will be on site to monitor truck traffic and provide traffic assistance as needed during soil export. As always, pedestrians and drivers should proceed with care around the construction site to ensure their safety and that of others on campus.
  • Tree removal. Additional trees will be removed for the construction project this week. As previously noted, the cottonwood tree near the community gardens will not be removed due to construction.
  • Construction trailers. Additional construction trailers and metal tool sheds will be installed on the construction site this week.
  • Preparation for demolition of the house at 623 20th Avenue South. Planning will be underway over the next two weeks to ensure proper safety precautions are taken for removal of the house located on the construction site.

UTILITY WORK NEAR ANDERSON RESIDENCE HALL AND OREN GATEWAY CENTER

Xcel Energy will install equipment on the west side of Anderson Residence Hall this week to support additional temporary power service for the construction site.

Reconstruction also continues west of Oren Gateway Center to create an expanded area for utilities support equipment. City of Minneapolis parking restrictions may remain in force on 21st Avenue South until this work is completed. A screening fence for the area will be added later during the summer.

Monday, May 2, 2016: Mobilizing for construction

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Groundbreaking for the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion took place this past Friday, April 29. The celebration included hundreds of Augsburg College alumni, students, donors, neighbors, faculty and staff members. To read more about the ceremony, see the article on the Augsburg News site, “Augsburg breaks ground on new academic building.”

Beginning this morning, crews will mobilize to begin construction. Below is a summary of activities expected to take place this week. During construction, both pedestrians and drivers should proceed with care to ensure their safety and that of others on campus.

Street and parking lot closures

Lot G is now permanently closed. Lot F and 7th Street South will remain open until noon today, May 2, to accommodate the final student move-out from Anderson and Luther residence halls. After that, they’ll be closed permanently as well.

In addition, Lots A and D will be temporarily closed beginning this week to accommodate the expansion of Lot D into the tennis court area and resurfacing of Lot A. This work is expected to take several weeks; additional updates will be provided as the project progresses.

Construction site work

The first week of construction of the Hagfors Center will involve demolition of parking lots, additional tree removal on the construction site (note: the cottonwood tree near the community gardens will not be removed due to construction), and excavation, installation of the remainder of the construction fence. Construction trailers (three main trailers plus several container-sized tool sheds) will begin to be set up Wednesday, May 4.

Utility work near Anderson Residence Hall and Oren Gateway Center

The concrete slab west side of Anderson Residence Hall will be demolished this week to create space for installation of an additional temporary power service for the construction site.

Reconstruction also continues west of Oren Gateway Center to create an expanded area for utilities support equipment. City of Minneapolis parking restrictions may remain in force along 21st Avenue South between 7th Street South and Riverside Avenue until this work is completed. A screening fence for the area will be added later during the summer.

Cable work scheduled Friday

Cable work is scheduled from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. Friday, May 6, and may result in potential temporary outages of the cable TV systems on campus.

Monday, April 25, 2016: Groundbreaking this week

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Groundbreaking for the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion is Friday, April 29. Below is a summary of construction-area activities underway to prepare for the project. During construction, both pedestrians and drivers should proceed with care to ensure their safety and that of others on campus.

Utility work on the west side of Oren Gateway Center

Reconstruction continues west of Oren Gateway Center to create an expanded area for utilities support equipment. City of Minneapolis parking restrictions may remain in force along 21st Avenue South between 7th Street South and Riverside Avenue until this work is completed. A screening fence for the area will be added later during the summer.

Potential internet service disruption

On Tuesday, April 26, from 9 to 11 p.m., Information Technology will perform maintenance on one of the College’s fiber internet connections. This maintenance is required as part of the utility relocation work in preparation for construction of the Hagfors Center. The reconfiguration of this redundant fiber connection may potentially cause a 1- to 2-minute network outage while internet traffic flows to other internet connections. Augsburg network services at Luther Seminary for the Physician Assistant Program will be unavailable for the duration of the reconfiguration.

Parking and street closure for groundbreaking

On Friday, April 29, Augsburg will host a donor groundbreaking ceremony for the Hagfors Center. The event will involve three large construction vehicles on the site for staging purposes; however, there will be no excavation until construction begins the following week. Lot G will close for the groundbreaking ceremony; it will reopen for commencement on Saturday, April 30, and then close permanently.

First week of construction

Lot F and 7th Street South will remain open until noon on Monday, May 2, to accommodate the final student move-out from Anderson and Luther residence halls. As of Monday afternoon, May 2, Lot F and 7th Street South between 20th and 21st avenues will be closed permanently.

Construction of the Hagfors Center will commence May 2 and will involve demolition of parking lots on the site as well as the existing house at 623 20th Avenue South, additional tree removal on the construction site (note: the cottonwood tree near the community gardens will not be removed due to construction), and installation of the remainder of the construction fence. Excavation will commence May 2 or 3, and construction trailers will be set up by Thursday, May 5. Cable work will also be scheduled during the week of May 2, resulting in potential outages of the cable TV systems on campus. The date and time window for this work will be published next week.