Since May, trucks have lined the English Building on the Main Quad as construction crews work to make exterior renovations. 

The project will replace the existing slate roof with a new slate roof, matching the original slate in material, shingle size and color of approximately 21,800 square feet on the east and north wings of the building.

“Built in 1905 (the English Building) is one of the most prominent buildings on the Main Quad. The roof received limited repair work in 2009, but the need for a more comprehensive roof replacement project was identified,” said Steven Breitwieser, manager of communications and external relations for the University of Illinois  Facilities and Services.

“Substantial completion” of the project is expected in summer  of 2018. Iryce Baron, senior instructor of English, said she feels that it should have been done at a less disruptive time.

“The renovation is noisy and primarily disruptive for classes taking place on the outer side of the building facing Wright Street,” Baron said.

Path Construction is the general contractor for the project. Kelly Brady, Path Construction’s superintendent for the project, said they have anywhere from 13 to 20 men on the job site, depending on the day.

Since the English Building is in a high traffic area, safety is important.

“We have protection over the sidewalks. We have all the construction grounds fenced in,” Brady said.

While they are taking safety precautions, Baron said it might not be enough.

“I’ve walked out to Wright Street to get coffee between or before my classes, and despite the canopies and scaffolding, there have been incidents in which shingles from the roof came down or pieces from the overhang,” Baron said.

Baron said she was upset with the University’s allocation of funding for the construction projects.

“They can’t seem to bother to raise sufficient funds for a renovation of major campus facilities for award-winning students and faculty,” she said.

Breitwieser said the funding for the project is taken from the Academic Facilities Maintenance Fund Assessment.

“AFMFA is a student fee used to help fund deferred maintenance projects on campus that make a significant impact on teaching and learning environments,” Breitwieser said.

Baron said the renovation going on in the English Building is quite necessary, since portions of the roof and the overhang are rotting.

“But this renovation should have been planned to take place primarily over the summer when the student and faculty population is at its lowest for the year, and it’s less disruptive,” she said.

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