Summer construction on McKeldin Mall finished Aug. 18, renovating storm drainage, irrigation and water pipes.
This summer’s work focused on the middle of the mall, replacing water lines between Francis Scott Key and Woods Hall, as well as another water line that ran across the mall. Last summer’s efforts were on the upper part of the mall, right below McKeldin Library and down to the sundial, said Jack Baker, Facilities Management executive director of operations and maintenance.
“The biggest part of this past summer’s work on the mall was the water line, because when the water line goes up, that could have a potential effect on the use of the building or multiple buildings,” said Bill Olen, director of design and construction.
Students returning this fall may notice changes on the mall during rainy days. Construction work increased sidewalk elevation in the middle part of the mall and expanded some of its drainage systems, Baker said, noting that “it will certainly be noticeable when it rains that it won’t flood as it did in the past.”
This marks the end of phase two of mall construction, which cost $925,000. The third phase is set for next summer.
[Read more: Construction on McKeldin Mall will enter its second phase this summer]
This summer’s renovation continued efforts to revamp the foundation drain system affecting buildings on the mall, Baker said. Problems such as leakage have impacted multiple buildings including Woods Hall, Tydings Hall, Taliaferro Hall and “basically any building on the mall,” Baker added. Additionally, a high-efficiency irrigation system was installed on the mall. It’s expected to use less water and avoid over-spraying sidewalks, said Karen Petroff, assistant director of arboretum and horticultural services.
While these measures should help with flooding and utilities complaints, no system is foolproof, Baker said.
“I can’t guarantee that there will never be any flooding again, but it’s certainly going to be a lot better than it has been over the last 10 to 15 years,” Baker said. “No question about that.”
During last summer’s renovations, a new irrigation system was installed on the upper part of the mall, right below McKeldin Library and down to the sundial, as well as a new water line and an improved storm drain. Those efforts were delayed, shuttering the mall until mid-September.
[Read more: McKeldin Mall is finally opening — 42 days behind schedule]
Some of the piping systems around the mall are approaching 100 years old, Olen said. An old domestic water line, which provided water to buildings, was failing, leading officials to replace it and add storm drainage materials to aid with the mall’s surface runoff, he said.
Next summer’s third phase will focus on the bottom part of the mall, with work around Taliaferro, Skinner and Woods, as long as funding is available, Olen noted. Funds for this summer’s work were allocated under facility renewal, which is work the campus does to replace failing systems or systems that need upgrades.
“There are more needs than available funding,” Olen said. “There is a large backlog of facilities renewal work. There is a longer list than we have money for … It’s an issue of priorities.”
Determining priorities starts with safety issues, which for the last handful of years has dealt with replacing electrical systems, sprinklers and fire alarms, Olen said. After that, the priority is mechanical systems affecting occupancy of the building, and underground utilities.
For Baker, this means his department needs a lot of money in order to upgrade the existing buildings.
“We’re talking water lines, steam lines, electrical lines, foundations, building systems,” Baker said. “All of those things that support campus facilities and the utilities systems that are underground. That is, of course, why we called it the ‘invisible crisis,’ because we don’t see it until something breaks.”
