The campus is alive with the sound of heavy machinery

Although finals are over at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, the campus is anything but quiet.

It's alive with the beeps, clanks and chugs of heavy machinery involved in more than $75 million in construction.

A giant hole has been dug for the largest building project, a $53.1 million science and engineering building, said Dave Schnabel, director of facilities. At 160,000 square feet, it will be one of the largest buildings on campus. It's scheduled to open in August 2008.

The renovation of Dwire Hall, partially inspired by a concrete chunk that crashed down in a hallway, is 30 percent complete, Schnabel said.

Nearly everything -- walls, windows, ventilation and wiring -- is being replaced. The $10 million project is scheduled for completion in August 2007.

For passers-by who've wondered about the towering white walls near the campus apartments, they mark the beginning of the $12 million student recreation center.

It's being built for energy efficiency, Schnabel said. Concrete poured into Styrofoam-like blocks will make it one of the campus's most efficient structures. It's 10 percent complete and paid for by student fees.

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