Description of Project: | ILLINI UNION, CONSISTING OF THE ORIGINAL NORTH BUILDING BUILT IN 1939, THE SOUTH BUILDING IN 1963, AND THE COURTYARD CAFE AREA CONNECTING THE TWO BUILDINGS BUILT IN 1993 IS POTENTIALLY ELIGIBLE FOR THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTIES (NHRP), AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH. MUCH OF THE MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS TO BE UPGRADED ARE ORIGINAL TO THE BUILDING AND WELL BEYOND THEIR LIFE EXPECTANCY. THE FOCUS OF THE WORK WILL BE DEFINED IN A FEASIBILITY STUDY, PLANNED FOR COMPLETION BY THE END OF JULY. THIS PHASE II WORK FOCUSES PRIMARILY ON MECHANICAL SYSTEMS UPGRADE TO ALL FLOORS OF THE NORTH BUILDING AND IT WILL INCLUDE REPLACEMENT OF EQUIPMENT TO UTILIZE THE CHILED WATER ALREADY AVAILABLE TO THE BUILDING, ELIMINATING THE USE OF WINDOW AIR CONDITIONERS, REPLACEMENT OF WINDOW SASHES IMPACTED BY THESE WINDOW UNITS, POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT AND MODIFICATION TO EXISTING FANS THAT SERVE THE LOWER FLOOR, REPLACING OBSOLETE MAIN SERVICE, DISTRIBUTION PANELS AND BRANCH CIRCUITS NOT COVERED UNDER THE PHASE I PROJECT. THE REMOVAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS IN AREAS ONLY IMPACTED BY THE SYSTEMS UPGRADE, WILL BE INCLUDED AS PART OF THIS PROJECT. THE FEASIBILITY WILL DEVELOP PRIORITIES WITH RECOMMENDATIONS OF SEQUENCING WORK IN A FULLY OCCUPIED BUILDING AND THE PSC HIRED FOR THIS PROJECT SHALL CONFIRM THE PHASING PLAN THROUGH DESIGN. AS ALWAYS, THE UNVERSITY IS WORKING TO ALIGN ITS ACADEMICS, RESEARCH, AND OPERATIONS WITH PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY. SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES SHOULD BE USED, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON ENERGY CONSERVATION STRATEGIES. |