New Southampton College Library

E.W. Howell Co., Inc. was chosen as general contractor for the new Long Island University Southampton College Library/Learning Center.

Mitchell/Giurgola Architects designed the new 29,600-sq.-ft. ground-up building to include two floors and a mezzanine. The new Bishop-Burke Library/Learning Center will have space for 200,000 volumes, a 200-person seating capacity, conference rooms, areas for display of special collections, offices, group study rooms and wireless computer capabilities and laptop computers for use by patrons.

The new building will be an "environmentally friendly" facility featuring a geothermal energy system and will the largest library on Eastern Long Island and the cornerstone of a $60 million strategic plan for the campus.

RIT Center Being Designed

Rochester Institute of Technology has selected Sear-Brown, of Rochester, N.Y., to design its new $12 million Center for Biotechnology Education and Training.

RIT is receiving a total of $8 million from two New York State programs to support the facility construction, $4 million through the state Senate's Gen*NY*sis program and $4 million through the state Assembly's RESTORE NY program. Construction of the 46,000-sq.-ft. building will be complete in 2004.

The center will contain training classrooms, research and development laboratories equipped to meet industry standards, training labs that simulate a biomanufacturing environment, conference rooms, a teleconferencing studio for distance learning applications, auditorium, gathering spaces, cafeteria and associated support spaces.

Gary Acord, AIA, principal-in-charge of the architectural DesignStudio at Sear-Brown, will lead the Sear-Brown team. Sear-Brown will manage the design from concept through completion employing the expertise of Kallmann McKinnell & Wood Architects. Ray Watkins, a senior-level manager in the biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, will serve as a consultant. Sear-Brown will be responsible for architectural design development, construction documents, engineering services and project management.

Big Plans for Old Bridge Site

Old Bridge Economic Development Corporation has selected Schoor DePalma to create a redevelopment plan for a 500-acre tract of land in Old Bridge Township, N.J.

The tract, known locally as the "Olympia & York Tract" is a heavily wooded area bordered close to Spring Valley Road to the north, Texas Road to the south, Marlboro Road to the east and the junctions of state highway 18 and state highway 9 to the west.

When completed, the plan will give the corporation concept plans for development options at the site. The plan will supersede the township master plan and, after approval by the Township Council, will become the zoning ordinance for the tract.

The Future Is Now

More than 30,000 middle school students are expected to participate in the 2004 National Engineers Week Future City Competition.

Working with a teacher and volunteer engineer mentor, students first design a city on computer using SimCity 3000 software, donated to each school by Maxis, based in Walnut Creek, Calif., and then building a three-dimensional scale model. This year, students must also write an essay on improving the lives of senior citizens through the use of plastic products or services.

First place regional winners receive an all-expense-paid trip to the national finals in Washington, D.C. during National Engineers Week, Feb. 22 to 28. The grand prize is a trip to U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala.

The competition started in 1992 as an outreach program by the nation's engineering community to encourage interest in math and science.

Memorial Park Under Design

Schoor DePalma has been awarded a contract for the development of construction documents for the Memorial Plaza Area at Victor Crowell Memorial Park in Middlesex Borough, N.J.

The plaza will include a general meeting plaza, a sitting area with benches, and a monument that will pay tribute to a Middlesex Borough resident who lost his life in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The plaza, which will be located directly off Union Avenue (Route 28), is currently in design phase. Members of Schoor DePalma's Parks & Landscape Architecture Department will develop final design plans for the plaza after discussions with community officials and citizens.

The design of the plaza is Phase I of the master plan for Victor Crowell Memorial Park. Park improvements include overall improvements to the park space, improvements to walkways and lighting, construction of a new footbridge and stabilization of the bank along the park's lake.