Workers'
Compensation
Claims
Program
Current Construction Projects
- Byrd Hall Renovation and Expansion
- This project will completely renovate and expand Byrd Hall to provide state of the art laboratories, including seawater wet lab space and associated office spaces. The construction plans were essentially complete when the funds for this project were frozen.
- Gloucester Point Bulkhead Replacement
- This project involves the complete replacement of the bulkhead and finger piers in the boat basin as well as some widening and bulkhead replacement along the channel. Crofton Diving Corp. was the low bidder and has been awarded the contract for this project. Work is anticipated to start in November and should take approximately 3-5 months.
- The traffic pattern in the boat basin area was recently altered by relocating the road around the back of the Boat Repair Shop in order to improve vessel operations from an operational and safety standpoint. The road is currently a gravel road and construction plans are now complete to pave this road (and widen the road where it passes the northwest corner of the Boat Repair Shop) as well as to improve the stormwater drainage situation along both sides of the road. Due to the large equipment necessary to perform the bulkhead replacement, and the potential to damage the new pavement, the road will be paved after the bulkhead replacement is completed.
- Telecommunications Network Upgrade
- The funds for this project have been frozen but will include upgrades to the conduit system between buildings including the installation of new fiber, new switches and ports, connection to a new emergency generator at Watermen's Hall and distance learning capabilities at the Gloucester Point and Wachapreague campuses. The Institute secured an alternative funding source for the Distance Learning portion of the project and has awarded a contract to SAIC to provide video streaming and distance learning/teleconferencing capabilities in Watermen's Hall Classrooms A, B and C, the Dean/Director's Conference Room, the main administration building at Wachapreague as well as passive teleconferencing in the Auditorium. This work will be complete and ready for next semester. In addition, though not part of this capital project, the Institute will be purchasing 10 laptop computers for wireless use in Watermen's Hall.
- Brooke Hall/Davis Hall Replacement
- The Brooke/Davis Replacement project includes the demolition and replacement of Brooke and Davis Halls with a new 71,000 square foot facility estimated to cost $14,500,000. The new building will be located where the existing Reed Hall Parking Lot is now, the Chesapeake Bay Hall Parking Lot will be expanded to replace the lost parking. This project will incorporate various programs (but not all) now located in Brooke Hall, Davis Hall, Maury Hall, Franklin Hall, Newport Hall, White House, Raleigh House, Holben House and the Marine Culture building as well as the Aquaculture Genetics and Breeding Technology Center. The preliminary plans have been completed. The Institute had only received planning money for this project and has requested the construction money from the Governor in this years budget requests. See the architect's renderings at image1, image2 and image3.
- Kauffman Aquaculture Center
- The Kauffman Aquaculture Center (KAC) will be a first-of-its-kind and world-class facility closely complimenting the work and facilities of the VIMS Aquaculture Genetics and Breeding Technology Center (ABC). The new building will be located in Topping, Virginia. Design is underway with construction expected to start in March of 2002. Specifically, the KAC will expand the scope of oyster breeding at ABC significantly by providing a means to safeguard important genetic material from native and non-native species of oysters. Because of its uniqueness as a shellfish resource, KAC will be a magnet for investigators from around the world seeking to exploit and explore new genes; it will serve as a resource for the conservation of rare genetic material, in the form of live animals and their genes; it will provide genetic resources for creating a new kind of aquaculture industry for Chesapeake Bay and help to repopulate the Bay with oysters.
- Wilson House Addition
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The new emergency generator for Watermens Hall has been bid and awarded and will enhance service by putting the entire computer room/system on emergency power. The replacement should take approximately 4-5 months due to lead time to manufacture and deliver the generator. |
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This project involves the addition of approximately 2,000 square feet of office and exhibit space to the recently acquired Wilson House for the NEERS program. Some renovation of the existing Wilson House will also be performed. Construction documents are under design by an Architect and nearly complete, occupancy is scheduled for the fall of 2002. |
- Maintenance Reserve projects are projects that repair or replace systems such as air conditioning systems, roofs, structural repairs, etc. costing between $25,000 and $500,000 per project. Funds are not frozen however the State has cut funding for FY02 by one half (approximately $160,000). Because of the funding situation with Byrd Hall, and the possibility that research will need to continue in that building for a minimum of three more years, several projects will need to be done in Byrd Hall to improve the building. These projects would have been accomplished with the capital project funds freeing up the maintenance reserve funds for other projects:
- Replace the roof which is totally saturated and leaks in numerous places (design is nearly complete).
- Caulk and seal the exterior walls which are a major contributor to the water infiltration problem (design is nearly complete).
- Replace various components of the air conditioning and heating system to provide a more suitable working environment.
- Additional maintenance reserve projects that are underway:
- Structural repairs to Franklin Hall (Engineering design is in progress).
- Replacement of the kitchen ventilation system in Watermen's Hall (has been completed) and ceiling tile replacement in the kitchen area and other areas of Watermen's Hall (underway).
- Resurface the boat basin road and improved drainage (see the bulkhead replacement above).
- Maintenance dredging for the boat basin (Will be accomplished concurrent with the bulkhead replacement project).
- Interior improvements to the Sediment Lab.
- Maury Hall roof replacement (Construction is essentially complete) and fume hood installation.
- Preparation of an Institute Shoreline Management Plan that will include replacement of the rip rap on the beaches at the outfalls and other shoreline improvements for erosion control.
- Cleaning and painting, with a longer lasting urethane type coating system, of the penthouse units and exhaust fans located on the roof of Chesapeake Bay Hall.
- Replacement of the mechanical speed drives for the four 50 horsepower supply air fan motors, and six 7.5 horsepower condenser fan motors in Chesapeake Bay Hall with electronic variable speed drives. This project is out for bids now and will provide a more dependable system that will use considerably less electricity and makeup water as well.
- Provide vinyl siding for the exterior walls of Hall House, Brown House and the Safety Building.
- Please welcome Kimberly Bennett, Nancy Smith and Jennifer Bailey to the housekeeping staff.
- Over the next year, Ron Herzick and Mike Kershner will be converting our existing building floor plans into computer generated versions using Auto Cad 2000. It is our goal to link our web site to these floor plans for the VIMS community to access and use.
- Working with Paul Nichols, we have installed two additional "Blue Light" emergency phones. One is located on the corner of the new DCOP Facility (located beside the Sowers House), and the other phone is located at the corner of the Chesapeake Bay Hall parking lot (beside the motorcycle pad). The phones should be operational in the next two weeks.
Blue Light at DCOP Facility |
Blue Light at CBH Parking Lot |