The Buchanan Towers East addition may not be finished in time to accommodate students this fall, Director of Facilities Management Tim Wynn said.

The project’s targeted completion date is Aug. 16, but students were not able to select the 105-bed Buchanan Towers East residence on the university’s housing website as a housing option for fall quarter. University Residences officials have not changed the completion date.  

Willy Hart, director of University Residences, said he is firm on the targeted Aug. 16 completion date, and as of right now, he expects the towers to be done on time.  

“We’re very clear in our expectation that the contract says the building is supposed to be done by the 16th of August,” Hart said.  

Bob Schmidt, project manager for the addition, said the work yet to be finished includes  mechanical, electrical and communication systems, and finishing room interiors.

Ebenal General, Inc., has the $14.6 million contract for the project.

Walt Bendt, an Ebenal superintendent working on the site, declined to comment on the construction’s progress. An e-mail message requesting an interview with company owner David Ebenal also went unanswered.

The project was discussed at a July 14 meeting of the university’s Buchanan Towers Addition Steering Committee. According to an agenda of the meeting obtained through a public records request filed by The Western Front, it was noted that Ebenal’s onsite project manager quit as of July 2.

That document indicates that Ebenal hired two people from Hainline & Associates to act as a project manager and a superintendent to oversee the remaining construction.

The agenda also indicated that the company’s LEED coordinator, who is in charge of ensuring the towers meet state and university environmental regulations, also quit.

The date the LEED coordinator quit was not given. Because Ebenal would not comment, it is unknown as of press time whether that position has been filled. 

Hart said if the project is not completed by the deadline, the university could be able to sue the contractor for damages. Hart said the penalty rate is around $5,000 per day for each day the project runs past schedule. 

The university has contracted with Ebenal in the past. In October 2006, Ebenal was chosen to make improvements on the Artzen Hall Atrium. Schmidt said that project was completed on time. 

As of July 28, Hart said that to his knowledge the project was within budget. He said the total project cost is $14.6 million. The cost of the towers will be paid off over the next 20 years through student room and board fees. 

The construction activity is not expected to interfere with students moving into the original Buchanan Towers this fall, Schmidt said. 

“We have plans to ensure access to the original towers,” he said. “We’re working with the contractors to make sure there will not be any problems.” 

The addition, which will add three towers and 37,000 total square feet to the Buchanan Towers residences, will be five stories tall and will accommodate 105 beds in 25 suites.

The first floor of the towers will feature a large café, public lounge areas, study spaces, computer rooms, office space and an extension of the Outdoor Center for bike storage and maintenance. 

When the towers are finished, Schmidt hopes they will be well -received by students, particularly by upperclassmen who want to continue living on campus.

He said the new towers will have an apartment-like feel and are geared toward older students. 

A separate project that began in spring of 2010 involves upgrading the fire sprinkler system and the fire alarm system in the original Buchanan Towers.

In addition, all of the student rooms have been outfitted with new cabinets.

The residence halls will also be given a fresh coat of paint and new carpet to match, said Martin Reed, associate director of University Residences. Schmidt said this project is being handled by Boss Construction, Inc. and is expected to be done by its targeted completion date Sept. 17. 

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