Construction tearing up campus

By Sam Fran Scavuzzo
Collegian Editor
August 28, 2008

Students returning to La Salle last weekend were greeted with cluttered parking lots, a gutted science building and scattered metallic structures.

Those items, though, represent the progress made over the summer on the university’s numerous construction projects. The progress was balanced with timetables detailing upcoming completion dates for the projects. Although progress was made, delays did occur.

Construction continued on the renovation of the science building, the building of the Shoppes at La Salle (leased stores located on the grounds of the former Good Sheppard Parking Lot), and the erection of a skywalk linking West Campus with Main Campus.

The university initially stated the Shoppes would be operational by November 2008; however, most stores will not be open until early 2009, according to university officials.

La Salle got lost in the belly of bureaucratic Philadelphia over the past year. In order for large-scale capital projects to be approved, a mass of approvals must occur.

An ordinance passed through City Council in December 2007 had to be vetted three times, presented in a public forum and approved by the council. Following a waiting period, outgoing Mayor John Street signed the ordinance in January.

However, La Salle still had to wade through numerous zoning, licensing and even architectural departments before building could commence on the bridge. In July, the Philadelphia Department of Streets found a discrepancy in the ordinance relating to curb distances.

This caused the university to go back to the drawing board with City Council.

“You can only deal with one department at a time,” Brother Joseph Willard, a university official, said. “This accounts for delays [in large-scale projects].”

The university was given the go-ahead to start in late July.

Beneficial Savings Bank will open in November, the first of the proposed retail shops to open. FedEx/Kinko’s, Rite-Aid, GameStop and Fresh Grocer Supermarket will open sporadically throughout the winter.

The Shoppes are still slated to include a Fresh Grocer, Rite-Aid, Beneficial Savings Bank, Starbucks, T-Mobile, America’s Best Eyewear and GameStop. According to La Salle’s Web site, the Shoppes at La Salle will measure about 50,000 square feet. $4 million in funding is coming from the state’s “Fresh Food Initiative,” a piece of legislation promoting the availability of fresh, healthy food options in impoverished and developing neighborhoods.

An aerial walkway is slated to be completed in late October. A blue bridge will provide pedestrians access over Wister Street to St. Benilde Tower from the St. Miguel Townhouses.

The Shoppes are still slated to include a Fresh Grocer, Rite-Aid, Beneficial Savings Bank, Starbucks, T-Mobile, America’s Best Eyewear and GameStop. According to La Salle’s Web site, the Shoppes at La Salle will measure about 50,000 square feet. $4 million in funding is coming from the state’s “Fresh Food Initiative,” a piece of legislation promoting the availability of fresh, healthy food options in impoverished and developing neighborhoods.

A steel frame is all that currently stands of Holroyd Hall. The university is renovating and updating the building featuring the Hugh and Nancy Devlin Center for Science and Technology to include more lab space, solar panels, a vegetative roof and open spaces. It is to be finished by August 2009.

St. Benilde Tower bears the brunt of the Holroyd renovation by housing a majority of the science classes in addition to being the new home of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Psychology is being taught at Wister Hall. While all science classes will return to the new science center, some psychology labs will remain in Wister.

Beneficial Savings Bank will open in November, the first of the proposed retail shops to open. FedEx/Kinko’s, Starbucks, GameStop and Fresh Grocer Supermarket will open sporadically throughout the winter.

Although the third phase of Benilde’s construction is still under way, the building itself is fully functional. The third phase includes the building of a two-story glass atrium.

Elements Café opened in July in the basement of St. Benilde to offer students in West Campus access to a cafeteria. The restaurant accepts Gold Card and cash but not food account or meal plan.

University official Stephen C. Greb discussed the rationale.

“Offering a meal plan at another location would drive up the cost of operation to the extent that it would increase the cost of the meal plan,” he said. Greb listed labor and commodities as reasons for a corresponding cost increase. The Shoppes are still slated to include a Fresh Grocer, Rite-Aid, Beneficial Savings Bank, Starbucks, T-Mobile, America’s Best Eyewear and GameStop. According to La Salle’s Web site, the Shoppes at La Salle will measure about 50,000 square feet. $4 million in funding is coming from the state’s “Fresh Food Initiative,” a piece of legislation promoting the availability of fresh, healthy food options in impoverished and developing neighborhoods.

In addition, Andy’s restaurant opened in place of the Explorers Den Steaks and Hoagies. La Salle purchased the property in addition to the restaurant Kirk’s in late 2007. While the former Kirk’s sits vacant, the university is leasing the other property to Andy’s.

Greb said that in negotiations with Andy’s the university required the restaurant to accept Gold Card from students.

It is unknown whether retail outlets at the Shoppes will accept Gold Card.

“We’re going from business to business and approaching them regarding a Gold Card option,” he said. “Hopefully, all the Shoppes will accept the Gold Card.”

La Salle streams progress of the construction live on its Web site.

Even though many projects are nearing completion, the university looks to continue renovations.

“We’re not done with West Campus either,” he said. “There’s still a lot we want to do.”

scavuzzos1@lasalle.edu