Construction Update

If you have a question that you don't see listed below, send it via e-mail, and the answer will be posted on this site.

What is the goal/big picture for construction?
The goal of construction is to recover the Medical School from the devastation of Tropical Storm Allison and to return it to a state in which it is better than before. Flood mitigation is also part of the project, which will prevent the type of damage we incurred in 2001. These goals were completed in the fall of 2005, yet construction continues as the six-story Replacement Research Facilitly adjacent to the Medical School Building takes shape. It will be ready for occupancy in the fall of 2007.

What are the allowable hours for loud construction?
No loud construction should be occurring between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. during the work week. This work is supposed to happen before or after “Medical School Building (MSB) work hours.” No construction noise at all is allowed on specific examination days as specified by the Medical School.

Why is construction taking so long?
The recovery and reconstruction for a state-supported medical school such as ours involves many players and is quite complicated. From our insurance companies to the federal government (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and The University of Texas System, much coordination had to take place in order to get to our present stage of active construction. Money had to be in hand to start construction, and a FEMA settlement took some time as did a settlement from our insurance companies. Thanks also to the support of our Legislature, which provided funding in the form of tuition revenue bonds in June, construction has ramped up. As we have made our way into the project, construction plans have chOctober 2, 2006ulted in delays. But we are confident that this thorough approach will serve us better than an attempt at a quick fix.

Additionally, once we did start construction, the perimeter wall was and is considered the critical protection project. Its progress is constrained by the emergency escapes at the stairwells. We need to keep six stairwells open at any one time, and therefore the sequence and timing of the wall “phases” depend on maintaining the emergency exit strategy of the building. Much of the interior build back, from the Learning Resource Center, to the Leather Lounge, to the dock spaces in the basement, then rely on portions of the wall to be complete before they can be completed, outside to inside. The construction pattern is an intricately linked sequence.

Last but not least, in trying to preserve a minimally acceptable work environment, we are balancing the need to work at "off-hours" with noisy work with a sense of financial accountability that does not spend excessive dollars on premium or overtime work. This also has an effect of extending the schedule, when compared to open, full-day, no constraint construction.

What is the timeline for construction?

• John Freeman Building Classrooms: Complete
• 7 Tesla MRI: Complete
• Electron Microscope: Complete
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer: Complete
• Ground Floor Office Build Out: Complete
• Learning Resource Center: Complete
• 3T Magnet Complete
• Perimeter Wall (flood protection): Complete
• Gross Anatomy (basement:) Complete
• Vivarium and Replacement Research Facility: Fall 2007
• Surgical and Clinical Skills Center: Spring 2006

Why do the project completion dates change?
Construction is at the mercy of numerous external factors – such as inclement weather, unforeseen site conditions (buried utilities not on current building plans), unexpected changes, and funding issues. These are the types of issues that knock construction timetables off track, which causes a domino effect – as project A has to be completed before project B can begin.

What is being done to be sure the school doesn’t flood again?
Several flood mitigation efforts are being implemented, including the construction of a granite and aquarium glass wall that will surround the school, acting as a barrier to water; the installation of flood doors and gates able to withstand walls of water; the moving of mechanical equipment above levels that could be flooded; and placing more water-tolerable offices and other services in vulnerable areas and moving more sensitive equipment and offices, such as the animals, out of harm’s way.

Where will the animals be located?
The vivarium will be located on the top two stories of the Replacement Research Facility.

Who is responsible for the construction? Who can I contact with a concern?
Ultimately this project is being overseen by The University of Texas System but locally it is a combined effort of the Medical School, the Office of Facilities and Planning, and various construction companies and contractors. Click here for a list of contacts on specific topics.

Will the school be closed during any of the construction?
No. The construction will not interfere with our missions of education, patient care, and research.

Is there a fund-raising effort going on to help the Medical School’s reconstruction?
Yes, there is a fund-raising effort, which aims to raise $14 million for the Surgical and Clinical Skills Center, which will be a state-of-the art facility to train, students, residents, physicians, and other health-care professionals. For more information on how you can help, contact development.

Where can people in wheelchairs go to access the John Freeman Building from the Medical School without going outside now that the blue elevators do not go down to the ground floor?
Currently such individuals must go outside when traveling from the Medical School to the ground floor of the John Freeman Building. Claire Brunson is working with these individuals to accommodate their needs, so please contact her directly at 713-500-5018 if you or someone you know has such a special situation.