NSU builds for the future

Construction workers expand the Terry Administration Building first floor.

Construction workers renovate the exterior of the future NSU Health Interprofessional Simulation Complex.

Connecting with Daniel J. Alfonso, executive vice president for Facilities Management, Public Safety, and Business Services, The Current introduces this column to inform readers about construction and renovation projects on NSU campuses.

The Office of Facilities Management is expanding and updating the infrastructure at NSU’s Davie/Fort Lauderdale campus throughout the summer and into the fall.

“Our goal in facilities management is to look at the utilization of space and make better use of it,” Alfonso said.

Alfonso said the Design and Construction service is working on completing renovations on the Cathy J. Husman ALS Center at the Center for Collaborative Research, which provides care on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It will be expanding to include patient waiting areas.

Alfonso also said the chiller plant, which provides air conditioning throughout the university and is housed also in the Robert S. Lafferty Sr. Central Energy Plant, will be upgraded to include two 2,300-ton chillers.

“Once we’ve finished that expansion, the chiller plant will provide cooling to 90% of the campus,” Alfonso said.

Ayanna Stephens, director of Design and Construction, said the future NSU Health Interprofessional Simulation Complex, formerly the Miami Dolphins training facility, will have its exterior renovated to look fresh. The interior is planned to include areas such as meeting rooms and a gym for NSU Athletics.

The Office of Facilities Management also bought trailers to be placed at the NSU Baseball Complex for the players to use as locker rooms because current rooms are nearing the end of their life, Alfonso said.

Stephens said the Cultural Living Center, a student housing center, has started a phased renovation to repair the building’s exterior.
“We upgraded all the windows in the building to impact windows,” Stephens said.

The first floor of the Terry Administration Building is being expanded to double the size of the Shark Dining cafeteria, Stephens said.

Also, the Office of Facilities Management is identifying underused space in the Carl DeSantis Building and planning to start renovations for the College of Computing and Engineering to include student lounge space on the fourth floor of the building.