MSU President's column for Traill County Tribune

March 19, 2016 

HPER facility replacement project reaches completion 

HPER_classroom_entrance-web.jpgOur state-funded HPER project reached substantial completion on March 1, approximately one month ahead of schedule. Excellent teamwork provided by Mayville State personnel and the contractors, combined with a mild winter, allowed for this shortened time frame in which the work was completed.

You may recall the project involved replacement of the 1929 Old Gymnasium and expansion of classroom and lab/practice space for Sports Management, Fitness and Wellness, Health Education, and Physical Education majors. The expansion involved additions to the east side of the existing Lewy Lee Fieldhouse, and the bulk of the renovation included constructing new classrooms and an athletic training area on the west side of the Fieldhouse.

Among the facility upgrades are new tile flooring, new ceiling tiles, and new lighting in the main lobby and hallways surrounding the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse. These upgrades were not in the original plans, but were completed without an increase in the overall contract price.

Faculty have moved into their new offices located in the north addition at the front of the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse. The three new classrooms and a new lab/classroom will be in use very shortly. By fall, the weight room, training room, and sports administration offices will be fully utilized.

PCL Construction Services, Inc., project construction manager, began working on campus April 27, 2015, when the project started. There were just under 34,000 man hours spent on the project. This translates to approximately 17 years for one individual! The bulk of the work was completed by local contractors from Mayville, Fargo, and Grand Forks, with one contractor from South Dakota and a handful from Minnesota. Their efforts in working safely are greatly appreciated by PCL and Mayville State University. All of the work was completed without a single medical aid, first aid, or lost time incident.

Trent Bowman, who headed up the Mayville State project for PCL, Inc. said he very much enjoyed working with the people of Mayville State. He remarked, “Their desire to do the right thing for the students, staff, athletes, and community was forefront in all the decisions made. This was truly a good group to work with, and it resulted in one of my favorite projects in all my years of doing this job!”

I extend my personal thanks to Trent and the PCL crew and all of the contractors who have given their best for this project. Our own Mayville State physical plant employees, headed by Dan Lorenz, have also be involved, as have our facilities services employees. The faculty and staff of the HPER and athletic departments have made the best of the situation during this time of transition. I thank all of these folks, along with the project committee members, chaired by MSU Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Keith Stenehjem. Members of the committee are Steve Bensen, Dan Lorenz, Scott Berry, Mike Moore, John Klocke, Lindsey Johnson, Donna Mark, Tim O’Brien, and Jeremiah Moen. We sincerely appreciate their excellent work!

We are excited to have the opportunity to show off this beautiful bigger and better facility during an open house scheduled for Tuesday, April 26, 2016. There will be a ceremonial ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. on the west side of the facility. The open house will continue until 3 p.m., and there will be students and faculty available to show people around. We cordially invite you to join us on this special occasion. Refreshments will be available.

Photo Caption: Students and others have easy access to the new HPER classrooms and athletic training services using the west entrance to the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse complex.