Construction on College Green's Class Gateway will not be completed by commencement.
Though Ohio University seniors often take pictures by Class Gateway when they graduate, they won't be able to do that this year due to ongoing construction.
The university hopes to complete that construction project, which has a total budget of $1.7 million, in time for Homecoming in October, OU Spokeswoman Katie Quaranta said. The fences surrounding the gate will stay up throughout the project.
The project, dubbed the "College Green Class Gate and Tunnel Project," takes aim at making repairs on a tunnel carrying heating and electrical items, according to an email from the University Service Center service desk.
Joe Lalley, senior associate vice president of Information Technologies and Administrative Services, said the project to restructure Class Gateway was supposed to be done last year, but the tunnel was found to be structurally unsafe. He said ramps will be built into the gateway from the side walk to make College Green more accessible and compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines.
Luis Cisneros, a graduate student studying communication and development studies, said it's weird that the university is doing construction in the spring now that more people are outside and commencement is coming up.
Breanna Thomas, a sophomore studying commercial photography, said she usually walks through Class Gateway and found the construction annoying at first.
“I just kinda go around a little bit,” Thomas said. “It’s only a couple feet over and then you can still walk there.”
Kelley McAndrews, a senior studying exercise physiology, said he doesn’t usually walk through that way.
“I feel like there’s not anything on College Green really,” McAndrews added. “Most people going somewhere could just go around.”
Monique Callieham, a freshman studying communication sciences and disorders, said she doesn’t spend much time on College Green but that the construction is for a good cause.
“It’s good that they’re making it more accessible for the students that are in a wheelchair and what not,” Callieham said.
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