The McKeldin Mall construction is now scheduled for completion on Sept. 26, about a week and a half later than the updated schedule planned for, said Bill Olen, Facilities Management interim executive director of planning and construction.
The $2 million project was initially supposed to be finished by Aug. 26 before classes started so as not to inconvenience students. However, heavy rain this summer delayed the project, and the date had been pushed back to Sept. 16.
“The contractor was supposed to have completed the majority of the work [Friday] to allow the installation of the sod to be completed next week,” Olen wrote in an email. “As of [Friday] they are running behind by a few days.”
The remaining sod will start to be installed next week after construction finishes, but “there is uncertainty with the weather forecast for the weekend into early next week,” Olen wrote. “If there is heavy rain during that period, it may impact the [Sept. 26] completion.”
Phase one of the mall renewal on the upper part of the mall, which started May 26, is replacing antiquated underground utility systems. A new irrigation system was installed, as well as a new water line and an improved storm drain. The goal of the construction is to stop flooding and improve the quality of turf, according to a past Diamondback article.
Phase two, which will launch the same construction on the lower part of the mall, will start next summer.
