NSU’s Facility Management will finish an ongoing construction project over the winter break to renovate 36th Street so that it is safer to travel on and to open up space for new residence halls on the field across from the Shark Athletics Building.
36th Street starts at University Drive and connects to SW 75th Avenue, just in front of the Shark Fountain. 36th also connects to SW 72nd Avenue, which curves around Cultural Living Center (CLC), The Commons and Goodwin Residence Hall.
Project Manager Randy Seneff said, “This whole project will improve the structure of 36th Street and free the area for future development of residential halls. This road will cause less traffic around the residence halls.”
Once the project begins, it will take nine months to complete. The project will first focus on renovations around the residence halls.
Seneff said, “The entire project has been divided into five parts that will take about six weeks each. Once we are finished around the residence halls, then we will work on 36th Street.”
The first part of the construction project will be from Dec. 7 to Jan. 23, and will be from College Avenue to the first entrance of The Commons/Goodwin Residence Halls. During this time, the section of the road will be closed; however, students will still be able to access the parking lot for The Commons and Goodwin.
“This part will be the most inconvenient because students like to use this road as it is the quickest way to get to the residence halls from the highway,” Seneff said.
The second part of the project will be from Jan. 25 to Feb. 27, and will be from the entrance in The Commons/Goodwin parking lot to the entrance in front of Cultural Living Center (CLC). Students will also have access to the parking lots during this time.
Although there is no set date, as of set, part three will be from CLC to the three-way stop sign of 36th Street. Part four starts at the three-way stop sign of 36th Street to the entrance in front of Founders, Farquhar and Vettel Apartments (FFV). The final part will be from FFV to the four way stop sign of SW 75th Avenue.
“We will maintain detour points throughout each part,” Seneff said. “The trickiest part will be part four, but we will have a detour road so traffic can go around the construction. But there shouldn’t be too much confusion, as students will still have access to the entrances to the residence halls.”
While originally expected to be completed in March, Seneff said that because of the time it took to get a permit, the project likely won’t be completed until fall 2016.
Even though it is almost a year away, Thomas Ingalls, junior marine biology major, said that he cannot wait for the new road.
“It’s about time they started renovating. The road is not adequate for the amount of traffic going through that area,” Ingalls said.
Not only is the road going to be new, but some students agree that it will be safer for drivers and their vehicles.
Gilberto Torres, sophomore exercise science major, said that 36th Street is a mess and that it’s falling apart with potholes.
“It’s good they are renovating because the road has gotten small, and it’s a tight fit which could cause an accident,” he said.
Maddie Uilk, freshman criminal justice major, said it’s nice that Facilities decided to renovate the road.
“We have such a nice campus, and people take the roads for granted. 36th Street is old and needs to be fixed so we can have a road as nice as our buildings.”
With detours provided and with the multiple entrances around campus, Ingalls said that, based on his experience at NSU, even though construction around the residence halls could cause confusion, the project is a good idea and students will be able to adjust.
Even though the renovations will change the routes, Uilk remained positive because she said the construction will help traffic run more smoothly.
For questions or more information, contact Facilities Management at 954-262-8845.
