With winter in full force, construction continues on Saint Louis University’s Busch Memorial Center. Seven months are left on the planned schedule, and work is on time and on budget, said BMC Project Coordinator Lee Hahnel.
As the brick on the exterior goes up, the interior walls are being framed on the second and third floors, said Hahnel. Expect the rest of the steel to be completed in two or three weeks, he added.
Even though St. Louis experienced cold temperatures and two snowstorms over the winter break, the weather has not been much of a problem for workers, Hahnel said.
“When the sun is shining, they work outside,” Hahnel said. When the weather is a problem, those who work outdoors, such as the brick-layers, work inside.
“Everything is going relatively smooth,” Hahnel said. They are currently in the stage of planning color schemes and working on the kitchens for all the restaurants planned for the building. “Everything is coming together,” he said.
The project is also on budget, though Hahnel admits that with construction, there is some minor problem every day. “We deal with problems as they come up, but there haven’t been any major glitches,” he said.
The renovated building will include mailboxes for every undergraduate student, a bank, a ballroom, conference rooms, dining facilities, a market, ampitheater and more. The $24 million project is still on schedule, set to open in late July or early August.
