University management is tearing up the asphalt on campus, particularly in front of Meiklejohn Hall, and replacing it with concrete to improve the school’s image.
“People would trip on that asphalt,” said Jim Zavagno, CSU East Bay’s University Planner. “It was hard for wheelchairs to navigate. Really, what it had was some general wear and tear.”
The asphalt sidewalk leading from Meiklejohn Hall to the New Union was uneven, cracked and considered a “safety hazard” by the Department of Facilities Planning Design and Construction.
The asphalt will be replaced with a longer lasting but more expensive concrete lined with a “brick band” in as many places on campus within a $200,000 budget, according to Zavagno.
“The new Recreation and Wellness Center is a great building, but it’s making the rest of the campus look bad,” said Zavagno.
The new building, with a new outdoor patio area, is the newest jewel of the campus and facilities is ready for the rest of CSUEB to get on the same level.
In addition to the walkway in front of Meiklejohn, facilities plans to landscape more in the center of campus in the coming weeks as well as renovate some restrooms in various academic buildings.
“We’re currently in the process of prioritizing the high traffic areas,” added Zavagno. “Probably first floor bathrooms that get a lot of use in the science buildings and the library. We’re going to do as many as we can with the money we have.”
The $590,000 budget doesn’t cover all the bathrooms that potentially need an upgrade, but the department is working to get the most bang for their buck.
“In the past, we were renovating bathrooms to meet ADA [the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990] standards,” Zavagno said. “But we’ve pretty much taken care of that. Now the bathrooms need a cosmetic facelift. We should be starting that in the next couple of weeks.”
While these new projects concern themselves with working on the beauty of CSUEB, Zavagno wants to make it known that the demolition of Warren Hall is not forgotten.
“Warren Hall is still very high on the list and very much on everyone’s radar,” said Zavagno.
Warren Hall, which has been in plans for a makeover for years, is currently in the governor’s budget to be demolished and rebuilt in spite of the recent cuts to CSU.
Occupants of the building have not yet been evacuated because temporary offices are still not ready, but Zavagno is “optimistic that we’ll get the funds” to complete the project soon.
Currently, the department is still working on the timeline of having everyone out of the building by the end of this quarter.
