Summertime at the University of Houston usually means “construction time.”

This year is no different. One of the campus’ most dynamic new projects, the 552,000-square-foot graduate and professional student lofts (http://www.uh.edu/uhtoday/2006/11nov/
112106regents_approvemplan.html) on Calhoun Road, will break ground in June.

To prepare for this project, which is part of the university’s master plan, a number of oak trees must be removed from the lofts’ future site next to the C.T. Bauer College of Business. This tree relocation is expected to happen at the end of May and will take approximately three weeks.

“This area of campus has several old oak trees that we do not want to lose,” said Dave Irvin, associate vice president of plant operations. “To enhance the look of the campus and to keep these trees, we’re going to place them in the median on Calhoun Road between University Drive and the UH Law Center. It will dramatically change Calhoun’s look from a wind-swept street to a tree-lined boulevard.”

The northern end of Calhoun Road has been reduced to two lanes running north and south, and a fence has been placed around the median. The project will have minimal impact on Calhoun’s traffic, and will be conducted primarily during hours of the day when there are less people on campus, Irvin said.

Following the tree relocation, work is scheduled to begin on the lofts’ utilities and foundation in mid-June. Included in this process will be an extension of the underground utility tunnels. Some road closures might be required for this process, Irvin said. All of the deans and managers in the colleges and offices in this area of campus, including the Cullen College of Engineering, the College of Business and the Law Center, will be consulted before any street closings occur.

Construction on the actual facility will begin in August.

In November 2006, the UH System Board of Regents approved the construction of this $96 million facility, which will house more than 700 loft apartments and 10,000 square feet of ground-level retail space.

To view a presentation on the lofts with images and additional details, visit Department of Plant Operations Master Plan Web site (http://www.uh.edu/plantops/fpc_masterplan.html) and click on Calhoun Lofts Presentation.

Mike Emery
memery@central.uh.edu