MLC working on summer construction projects

By CHANCE PRIGGE

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- More than $5 million is being spent on construction and renovation projects that are underway this summer at Martin Luther College.

Changes include a new boilerhouse and tunnels, new tennis courts, additional parking lots, and a revamped cafeteria.

Most construction is expected to be completed by fall semester's start.

The projects are only part of the changes in MLC's master plan, which began evolving in '94 and was accepted in '97.

The most expensive part of this summer's construction are the new boilerhouse and tunnels.

"The present boilerhouse will be by Highland Avenue," MLC Chief Financial Officer Gary Sonnenberg said. "The current boilerhouse will be demoed."

The two projects combined cost roughly $3.4 million, Sonnenberg said, which is coming from the school's owner and operator, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

Other construction includes, tennis courts and additional parking spaces, which make up the Waldheim Drive projects.

The current tennis courts will be torn out and new ones will be placed between Center Street and Highland Avenue.

"They (the current tennis courts) were in disrepair, and they needed to be either replaced or removed," Sonnenberg said. "We'll have six courts, just like we did before."

Additional parking is needed because of the growing number of students and their growing desire to bring cars to school.

"It's always an issue because every student wants to bring their own car, and with the growth that we've had since 1995, we needed more parking," Sonnenberg said. "Our master plan did address that."

The school jumped from about 750 students in '95 to 1,052 for the last academic year, Sonnenberg said.

The Waldheim Drive projects are costing around $500,000, Sonnenberg said, which is coming from donations.

The final project this summer is the cafeteria expansion.

"We're going to have a whole new cafeteria," Sonnenberg said. "We've gutted the inside of the building. We're going to go from 384 seats to 612."

The main cafeteria and kitchen will be renovated in time for school, Sonnenberg said, but some additional rooms in the Luther Student Center will be under construction until about October.

The project will cost about $1.5 million, with donations and school funding covering the costs.

Sonnenberg said the often warm weather hasn't been much of a factor in the construction, though occasional rain slowed it down in the beginning. Work on the tunnels, he said, is the only thing falling slightly behind schedule.

"I think, other than the tunnels, we're pretty much right on target," Sonnenberg said.

MLC, as with many other higher education institutions in the state, has had to deal with a tight budget this year, compensating with things such as increased tuition, but it prepared itself for the construction projects.

"The funding we usually have before we do the project," Sonnenberg said. "The other funding that we have for the other projects is already in the bag."

Future projects include a new chapel, an athletic complex and a field house.

Sonnenberg said he expects the new chapel and the field house to be the next projects, with the chapel going in place of the old boilerhouse and the athletic complex being planned to be put by Sunset Avenue.

The field house is planned to have four softball diamonds, one baseball diamond, one collegiate soccer field, two practice soccer fields and a track.