After months of delays and contractor problems slowed construction for several months last year, the Lewis Science Library is on schedule to be completed by next fall.
The 87,000 sq. ft. building, designed by Frank Gehry, was originally slated to open in December 2006. But construction delays pushed back the opening three times — first to the spring of 2007, then to the spring of 2008 and now to the fall of 2008.
Currently, however, construction seems to be keeping pace with the new plan, University spokeswoman Cass Cliatt '96 said in an interview. "The contractor continues to complete the work in a manner that will allow us to complete the project in the way that we want and allow us to finish with the revised schedule," she said.
The University fired its original contractor, Skanska USA, in November last year and replaced the firm with Barr and Barr, Inc.
Peter Lewis '55, who is the chairman of the Progressive Corporation insurance company and donated $60 million for the library's construction, said he is happy with the building's progress. Though he has not followed the project on a daily basis, he said, he is "satisfied because the University team seems to be satisfied."
"Everything takes longer than it was supposed to and costs more than it was supposed to when you build something," Lewis, a University trustee, added. "I'm delighted. We're going to have a great building and something the University will be proud of."
Cliatt told The Daily Princetonian in December that the University decided to replace Skanska because construction was moving more slowly than the University had anticipated but declined to name specific individuals who might have caused the delay.
"It was a priority for the University to make sure we have people on board to bring about the project in a way we envisioned," she said.
An unnamed spokesman from Skanska told the 'Prince' in December that the University and the corporation parted ways over mutual differences. "We couldn't come to an agreement on the path forward," he said, adding that "the University opted for its convenience to release Skanska on this project."
Now that Barr and Barr is in charge, Cliatt said, the University expects "substantial completion" of construction by next May. The most "significant milestone" in the project's progress, she added, will be completion of enclosure work that will make the structure watertight, which is essential for the library to begin operation.
This "exterior skin" of the building is the most complex and time-consuming stage of the project, Cliatt explained, noting that only after its completion can contractors start working on the inside of the building. This interior work will include the finishings and shelving, which will be moved in next fall.
The library will contain a significant amount of classroom space. It will also house the combined collections of the chemistry, biology, geosciences and physics departments, as well as the digital map and geospatial information center and statistics references. Because there is high demand for classroom space across campus, the University is making it a priority to complete the library by next fall, Cliatt said. She added that since the Registrar's office will be involved with the allocation of this classroom space after the completion of construction, its involvement will also factor into the timing of the building's opening.
The delay's financial costs are unknown at this time, as is the final bill for the project. For contractual reasons, the University has declined to comment, though in general the University announces the final cost of a project after construction has been completed and all expenses have been calculated.
Barr and Barr has a longstanding relationship with the University. Most recently, the company completed work on the Carl Icahn Laboratory, located only a few hundred yards from the site of the Lewis Library project.
Lewis is a member of the Board of Trustees' Grounds and Buildings Committee, which oversees University building projects. He "remains directly connected to the project and kept informed throughout the process," Cliatt said.
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