Collegio Online

Issue date: 3/27/08 Section: Front Page

Media Credit: Patrick D. Furey/Collegio A construction worker for Atkins Weather Proofing finishes grinding the decorative stone work on the front of Russ Hall, on Wednesday, March 26.

Recently granted $10 million under the state's deferred maintenance program, PSU has almost completed its first such project, which is masonry and terracotta repair and restoration on Russ Hall.

Paul Stewart, director of facilities planning, says the main work being done on Russ right now is tuckpointing, which is the repair of mortar joints that have been weathered over time. Also, cracked or loose terracotta banding, the tan banding around the top of Russ, is being inspected and reworked.

Work on Russ began in December. However, bad weather has placed the project on hold and it will be completed this spring.
Russ is not the only deferred maintenance project slated for PSU. McCray Hall and Axe Library will undergo repairs and limestone cleaning beginning this spring and will be completed by the end of the year. Porter Hall will undergo maintenance and repairs next year.

"Russ Hall just happens to be the first one we got contracted and got going," said Stewart.

During a condition assessment for PSU in 2005, the Kansas deferred maintenance program identified a need of $58 million. So far, $10 million of that is being disbursed to PSU over a five-year period to repair such things as utilities, roofs and masonry.

The total cost for repairs on Russ is $150,000.

Axe Library is up for bid to contractors now. Bidding for McCray will begin in about two weeks.

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