Season of Change: Construction Projects Progress through Summer

With a smaller population on campus in the summer months, it is often a season of transformation, as many infrastructure and construction projects are underway simultaneously. 

This year, many projects began in the spring and some will continue into fall. Read on for updates on what to expect around campus in the coming months and what else is coming down the road.

Amazon@GeorgiaTech

Work is underway at the Amazon@GeorgiaTech pickup location on Fifth Street, which was announced in March. Construction is scheduled to be complete in early July, with a soft open later that month. An official grand opening will take place at the end of August.

West Campus Dining

Breaking ground this month, the West Campus Dining project will provide a new dining experience on the west side of campus at the corner of Eighth and McMillan Streets. Expected to be completed in the fall of 2017, this project will include several new dining options. In addition, this new construction will enable the implementation of several recommendations made during the recent Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Campus Assessment Plan.

Tech Green

Renovations to Tech Green should be completed by the end of June. To allow time for the grass to establish strong roots, though, the site will remain fenced and maintained by the contractor until Georgia Tech’s first home football game on Sept. 10.

Gilbert Hillhouse Boggs Building

The Gilbert Hillhouse Boggs (Chemistry) Building has undergone several phases of renovation construction in recent years. The latest renovation began in early May and will provide students and faculty with better learning environments by updating the instructional auditorium spaces. The goal is to support current and future learning approaches and pedagogies by providing more flexible learning space. Renovation of the lobby area will also provide non-classroom learning space and meeting space for student groups, as well as encourage student-faculty engagement outside of class. This is the first of three projects to renovate instructional space across campus.

This project is now in the demolition stage and is planned for completion by Aug. 15, in time for the start of fall semester. To meet the strict opening deadline, project contractors are working 12-hour days, seven days a week. 

Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Administration Building (Tech Tower) 

One of the first major construction projects on campus this year, the Tech Tower renovation includes upgrades to plumbing, electrical, and heating and cooling systems, as well as the addition of a second interior fire exit stairwell and a new elevator. This project is still on track for completion in late 2016. 

Tech Parkway

This project, which began this month on the west side of campus, will provide a dedicated bicycle track that connects downtown and midtown Atlanta. A partnership between the Georgia PATH Foundation and the Georgia Department of Transportation, the initiative is being broken into two phases and may require brief closures along Tech Parkway during construction. 

The first half of the project will extend from North Avenue to Means Street and take place from June through the end of the year. The second half of the project will begin at the intersection of Means Street and Tech Parkway and extend to Northside Drive. The project is scheduled to be completed in April 2017. 

Cherry Street at Ferst Drive

This project on Cherry Street is refreshing vegetation, replacing materials, and restoring quality to the landscaping and hard surfaces. When complete, the Corliss Pump that many are fond of photographing will have refreshed surroundings that include tables and chairs, benches, and bike racks. The project is expected to be complete by August.

Andrew Carnegie Building

Updates to the historic Carnegie Building began in March and include improving the building’s energy efficiency, providing additional accessibility options, and bringing the facility into alignment with building codes. The estimated completion date for this project is late August, just in time for the start of the fall semester. 

Atlantic Drive

The repair and replacement of underground steam lines, which began in March, continue along the southern portion of Atlantic Drive. Encountering very hard blue granite required an unexpected and raucous rock excavation for two weeks at the end of the spring semester.  

Streetscape and landscape improvements are expected to begin in early July. This is phase one of three planned phases. Additional construction to Atlantic Drive will take place in 2017 and 2018; these phases will address heating systems for the buildings in that area of campus. Buildings to be affected include the Pettit Microelectronics Center, College of Computing, Mason Building, Sustainable Education Building, and Bunger-Henry Building.

Coming Soon

Techwood Drive Pedestrian and Lighting Improvements

This project will improve safety and mobility for all users of Techwood Drive. Improvements made between North Avenue and Bobby Dodd Way will include sidewalk repairs and a new traffic signal at the intersection of Bobby Dodd Way. Work is expected to be complete by Aug. 11.  

Ferst Drive Streetscape and Intersection Improvements 

Ferst Drive will undergo multiple improvements from State Street through the Hemphill Avenue intersection. The streetscape project along the south side of Ferst Drive will provide a wider sidewalk, new curbing and plantings, new LED outdoor lighting, and a new bus shelter on Hemphill Avenue. Parallel parking along the south side of the street will be removed.

This will be a phased project in order to keep vehicular and pedestrian traffic moving at all times. Some pedestrian traffic may be temporarily diverted to opposite sides of the roads during various phases. The five-month project will go through early November 2016. When it is complete, the intersection should operate more efficiently for pedestrians and vehicles.