In 2017, Colorado State University wrapped up a $1.4 billion building boom that began in 2007. It brought to campus a new stadium, a new Health and Medical Center, new Biology and Chemistry buildings, Suzanne and Walter Scott, Jr. College of Biomedical Engineering building, C. Wayne McIlwraith Translational Medicine Institute, Aggie Village apartments, Behavioral Sciences building, two parking garages, numerous renovations of existing buildings including the south end of the Lory Student Center, and bicycle and pedestrian trails fitting for one of the nation’s top bicycle-friendly universities.
After a two-year lull, the campus will once again see the signs of progress, as streets and parking lots are closed, construction and renovation fences are erected, and we all start hearing the familiar yet bedeviling beep-beep of construction vehicles. The results over the next 24 months or so will be seen in a state-of-the-art heating and cooling system; a renovated Shepardson Hall to be known as the Nutrien Agricultural Sciences Building; an addition to Diversity House; renovation and addition to the north side of the Lory Student Center; creation of student housing at Meridian Village on the former site of Aylesworth Hall, and numerous improvements to alternative transportation and pedestrian byways around the main campus.
Let CSU help you find a new route or mode of transportation
During construction, you may wish to consider other transportation options. CSU’s Alternative Transportation team is here to help. To tap into this valuable resource, email aaron.buckley@colostate.edu.
Resources
You can find construction updates, detour maps and a wealth of related resources on the Construction and Parking Update page: source.colostate.edu/construction-and-parking.
Send your questions, comments or concerns about construction, transportation or parking at CSU to csu_feedback@colostate.edu.
“It may get a bit muddy and our familiar travel routes may be affected, but the end result is going to allow CSU to become an even more sustainable, navigable and beautiful place to learn and work,” said Lynn Johnson, vice president for University Operations.
What are the big plans and how will they affect you? Let’s break it down:
What to expect during spring semester
Main Campus
Diversity House addition – The building at Laurel and Shields streets is being expanded to include a larger seminar room, all-gender bathrooms, a lactation room and additional private offices. The 2,500 square-foot addition will add an interior vertical lift for access to the second floor. There is no impact to parking or traffic and the project should be completed by April 1.
Nutrien Agricultural Sciences Building (Shepardson Hall) construction and Libbie Coy Way– The new home for the College of Agricultural Sciences is currently under construction on University Avenue. A large construction crane will be located on Libbie Coy Way, which will be closed to vehicle and bicycle traffic south of University to A Street until summer 2021. Pedestrians are allowed on the east side of Libbie Coy Way, and Around the Horn has been detoured eastbound on University to College Avenue and east on West Pitkin Street. Parking is no longer allowed along A Street and the formerly one-way street is now open for traffic both east and west.
Lagoon construction – The sidewalk from the Veteran’s Bridge to the LSC will remain closed as crews work on the lagoon and the west lawn. Pedestrians should use the bike path. Entire project should be done by summer 2020.
Amy Van Dyken Way/University Avenue/Parking lot closures – Beginning in mid-March, Amy Van Dyken Way south of Isotope Drive and University Avenue east to Libbie Coy Way will both be closed to vehicle traffic for utility work and the creation of a protected bike lane. Bicycle and pedestrian access will be accommodated around the construction area. Amy Van Dyken Way will reopen the beginning of July, but University Avenue will remain closed until mid-August. Because of these road closures, parking lot 350, the A permit west lot behind the Administration building, will not be accessible and will be closed until July. Drivers who generally park in this lot will have to find alternate spaces or use alternative transportation options.
Hughes Way – Work to widen Hughes Way south of the intramural fields, add parking and designated bike and walking trails, and turn the street into a two-way east-west connector to Shields Street will begin in mid-March when the existing south bike lane and sidewalk will close. In mid-May, Hughes Way will close to parking and vehicle traffic. The renovated Hughes Way will reopen mid-August.
Additional parking closures – Lot 475 (west of the Meridian Village site) and parking on Meridian Avenue between Pitkin and Hughes Way will close at the end of February.
Sunshine House Early Learning Academy and The Standard apartments on Lake Street – Although not technically CSU construction projects, the construction on the southwest corner of the main campus will have an impact. Sunshine House is expected to be completed by July and The Standard apartments are slated for completion and move-in this summer.
Foothills Campus
Two construction projects are planned for the Foothills campus that will continue through the summer.
Temple Grandin Equine Center – Work on the Temple Grandin Equine Center will begin in mid-March. Construction crews will use the Overland Trail north entry to the B.W Pickett Arena and parking and access to the campus should not be restricted. The project is scheduled to be completed in January 2021.
Center for Vector-Borne and Infectious Diseases – Construction on the center will continue through the summer with little or no impact to roads or parking. Substantial completion of the project is scheduled for Oct. 1.
South Campus
Johnson Family Equine Hospital – Building demolition, utilities and road work are currently underway, and construction is expected to begin this spring on the $34.6 million project, which will cover six acres north of the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital in the Veterinary Health Complex on CSU’s South Campus. Buildings have been demolished and utility work will be completed by the end of March. Curb and road paving will require closing some access roads from March through June. The site will be fenced in April. Parking should not be affected throughout construction.
What to expect during the summer
As soon as graduation is over, three new major projects will get underway. Mid-May will be an ideal time for you to put on a new pair of patience pants.
GeoX and Hughes Way – Fences will be erected around several intramural fields and drilling begun on what will be the largest ground-source heating and cooling system in Colorado, and one of the largest in the western United States. Hughes Way will be closed from South Shields Street to Meridian Avenue through the summer, and Meridian Avenue will be closed from University Avenue to south of Hughes Way. A temporary access road east of the Meridian Village site from Pitkin Street north to Hughes Way will provide vehicle access to the Morgan Library parking lot.
Meridian Village Phase 1 – Construction will begin on the Meridian Village site. Parking lot 412, west of Hartshorn along Meridian Avenue, will close until mid-August. Anticipated completion of the large-scale first phase is late May 2022.
Lory Student Center northside renovation – This $24 million project includes mechanical, electrical, plumbing and aesthetic upgrades to the north section of the LSC along with an addition to provide more space for the Adult Learner and Veteran Services program. The north entrance and steps between the LSC and the Engineering building will close in mid-May, detouring foot traffic to the west side of the LSC for the entire summer. The Transfort Transit Center inside LSC will close, but the bus bays outside will remain open and functional.
Nutrien Agricultural Sciences Building (Shepardson Hall) construction and Amy Van Dyken Way/University Avenue/Parking lot closures – As construction on Shepardson Hall continues, Libbie Coy Way will remain closed with pedestrian access available on the east side of the street. Amy Van Dyken Way will reopen in July, but University Avenue between Amy Van Dyken Way and Libbie Coy Way will remain closed, and between July to mid-August, University will be closed from Amy Van Dyken Way to Mason Street. Bicycle and pedestrian access will be accommodated around the construction area. Parking lot 350, the west lot behind the Administration building, will remain closed and the east pay-to-park lot 349 will be partially closed in mid-May with intermittent closure of the entire lot. Both lots will reopen in July with access from Amy Van Dyken Way.
NCAA Women’s Soccer and Softball Complex – First-class facilities for the softball and soccer programs are in the planning stages and construction could begin as early as June. The soccer facility, which will be housed just south of the Moby parking lot where the soccer field sits now, and the updated softball field will include permanent fan seating, concessions and restrooms, team meeting space and lighted fields.
Around the Horn
- Until Amy Van Dyken Way is closed in mid-March, Around the Horn’s southbound route will detour from University Avenue headed east to College Avenue, south on College Avenue, west onto West Pitkin Street and south on Libbie Coy Way. From July to mid-August, northbound bus routes will also be affected in the area. Updated detour routes detailing the route once Amy Van Dyken Way is closed will be available soon on the construction and parking update page (https://source.colostate.edu/construction-and-parking/)
- Since Around the Horn buses will now cross the railroad tracks and will drive on College Avenue, buses may be periodically delayed. Plan extra time to get to your destination.
- Buses will stop only at designated stops. Detour routes will not add additional stops.
- Remember that due to ongoing construction, routes and detours may not be accurately reflected in the Transfort app.
