Five major enhancement projects are taking place or have recently been completed around the University of Maryland Eastern Shore campus.
The projects, ranging from infrastructure improvements to building renovation and construction, play a vital role in the function of the institution.
“These projects may not be the glitzy ones, but they are necessary and overall, improve the operations here on campus,” said Wade Henley, Interim Vice President of Administrative Affairs. “The timing of many of these projects will continue to proceed throughout the year.”
Among the ongoing projects addressed this summer were the flood mitigation plan at several buildings, including Kiah Hall and Frederick Douglass Library, sewer pipe replacement to limit environmental impact on the Manokin River, and the conversion from diesel fuel to natural gas encompassing 11 campus buildings.
“With the completion of these projects, there will be fewer worries about flooding or utility issues happening to us,” Henley said.
One of the renovation projects taking place on campus includes upgrades to George Washington Carver Hall, where interior and exterior improvements are being made. The overhauls at Carver include the refurbishing of laboratory space and the replacement of the roof, windows, and doors.
Henley added that the improvements to Carver and other campus locations, such as residential dormitories, are impactful to overall student experience.
“It’s all well connected,” he said. “Looking from the standpoint of our strategic plan and our facility master plan, we want to make good sense and good use of the resources of the university.”
Additional checklist items include the construction of a new 25,231-square-foot Agricultural Research and Education Center, which began Aug. 12, and renovations to the athletic fields, including the installation of turf fields for the baseball and softball teams. Work on the athletic fields is tentatively pegged to begin between October and November.
“Whether it’s in academics or athletics, the goal of these projects is to ensure that we have top-notch facilities for our students where they can perform their best and that they are deserving of while receiving the best education they can,” Henley said.
