Inside Iowa State

June 4, 2009

Cooling it at the Lied Center

by Erin Rosacker

Although Special Olympics and Odyssey of the Mind events have cleared out of the Lied Center, users will see more activity soon. Work to install air conditioning in Lied -- part of a $52.8 million recreation facilities expansion and renovation project -- is scheduled to begin June 8.

Scott White, interim director of recreation services, said some areas will be impacted, but the building and the parking lots will remain open to users throughout the process. Workers will use the building's east entrance and a portion of the east end of lot 100.

"We will close areas as needed, for limited amounts of time," he said. "A lot of the work really is going to happen behind the scenes."

White said crews will work primarily in Lied's mechanical areas. Rec services staff will communicate daily with the contractor and post immediate notifications of disruptions and changes throughout the building. The rec services web site will be updated with long-term changes. Most of the work is expected to wrap up by Oct. 1.

"Hopefully, it will be minimally disruptive to everyone," he said.

What's happening

The Lied improvements will cost an estimated $1.9 million. An additional 22,000 gross square feet of space -- including the entrance, lobby and two-story student lounge -- will be air-conditioned.

Duct work and ventilation improvements will be added to the large gymnasium and track space in lieu of air conditioning. Large volume circulating fans, operating in conjunction with a mist cooling system, will cool that 160,700 gsf space. White said pass-through "air curtains" will be draped between the third-floor track and fitness areas.

"We will close areas as needed, for limited amounts of time. A lot of the work really is going to happen behind the scenes."

Scott White, interim director of recreation services