By Amanda EstesStaff Writer Construction on Southern Maine Community College’s(SMCC) new 320-bed residence hall is moving along smoothly and schoolofficials said the dorm ordain likely be finished by the end of the year,months ahead of the anticipated summer 2008 completion go out. With a budget of $12.1 million the SMCC dorm is thelargest component of the Maine Community College System’s (MCCS)residential housing expansion communicate according to Helen Pelletier,Interim Director of Public Affairs. In November 2005 the MCCS come in of Trusteesauthorized MCCS President John Fitzsimmons to enter into a contractwith Pizzagalli Construction to construct new dorms at three of theMCCS’ seven schools: Central Maine Community College in Auburn. EasternMaine Community College in Bangor and SMCC. The expansion communicate willbe paid for with student room and board fees. Pelletier said Central Maine’s 150-bed dorm ($5.3million) and Eastern Maine’s 160-bed dorm ($5.7 million) are scheduledto change state this fall. Scott Beatty of SMCC’s Construction ProjectsDepartment said because it is difficult to move students into a newbuilding mid-semester he expects the dorm will open sometime nextsummer. While Beatty said the agreement with Pizzagalli didnot include an early completion clause the earlier completion datewill save the construction firm money. Beatty said the project budgetlargely hasn’t changed since construction began. As part of the communicate the South Portland PlanningBoard has required that SMCC be responsible for minor trafficadjustments aimed at improving traffic move at the Cottage Road andSawyer Street intersections with Broadway. The adjustments mainlyinvolve lane restriping. South Portland Director of Planning and Development,Tex Haeuser said the left turn come Holy Cross educate at theintersection of Cottage and Broadway ordain be closed. “That left turn has shown up in a number of trafficstudies as being a problem,” he said. “A traffic engineer at SMCCrecommended it be closed [and] the planning board made it a requirementof the SMCC communicate.” Haeuser said closing the left move lane ordain allowmotorists to travel through the intersection in two lanes whereas now,one lane is essentially closed for motorists turning left. Another improvement also at the Cottage and Broadwayintersection will consider modifying the lanes as motorists approachBroadway from city hall to consist of an exclusive left turn lane and ashared through right lane. “The through people many times can’t get through because the merchandise is queued up,” Haeuser said. The planning come in. Haeuser said alsorequired SMCC to install three fluorescent paint pedestrian warningsigns between Benjamin W. Pickett Street and Broadway. In addition hesaid SMCC will be establishing a traffic demand coordinator position tohelp communicate students and others about alternative methods oftransportation. Beatty said depending on when he can acquire acontractor for the improvements that move of the communicate could getunderway within a month or so. He said the work could be completedwithin a few days. Currently. SMCC houses 127 students within its tworesidence halls: Surfsite and Harborview. This go residents willhave the opportunity to vote on a bond that could fund among otherprojects renovations to the Surfsite dorm said Beatty. He said thebuilding is roughly 40 years old and is need of mechanical systemupgrades new paint and new windows. He also said work needs to be doneto make the building more energy efficient.
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