However, drivers and pedestrians will need to navigate around projects and some bus stops have been changed to accommodate construction.

One of the most visible changes returning students will notice is along McKinley Avenue where the street now curves around the construction site of Shafer Tower, a 150-foot carillon tower to be completed in May 2001.

"Drivers are encouraged to use caution in this area and to be especially watchful of pedestrians and construction vehicles," said Kevin Kenyon, associate vice president of facilities planning and management.

Also along McKinley, the new Art and Journalism Building has taken shape over the summer. The structural portion of the building is complete. Focus now will turn to encasing and finishing the building.

The facility will provide additional space and up-to-date technologies to the departments of art and journalism, as well as house a 400-seat food service and dining area, the university bookstore and a coffee shop.

The first phase of the project, a three-dimensional art wing, will be complete in December and ready for Spring 2001 classes. The rest of the building will be open for Fall 2001 classes.

Although nearly 250 construction workers will be on campus, efforts have been made to reduce the parking strain for faculty and students, said Kenyon.

Many of the workers will be bused to campus and others may park on a new, temporary gravel lot on McKinley across from the Burkhardt Building.

In other fall construction news:

• Due to construction, campus bus stops between Riverside and Petty avenues along McKinley have been reduced from four to two. One is on the northwest corner of Bracken Library and the other on the southeast corner of Ball Communication Building.
• The west pedestrian walkway, commonly called the cow path, will be open to students in late August. The area was closed this summer to allow grading and utility work associated with the Art and Journalism Building.
• Students will need to walk around a construction staging area on the east side of the Fine Arts Building as it is renovated for use by the geology and social work departments and the expanded Ball State Museum of Art.
• Renovations continue to the West Quad academic building.Improvements include a new stair tower, restrooms, air conditioning and lighting systems, as well as several upgrades for the natural resources and environmental management department.
• Renovations continue to about 30 laboratories within the Cooper Science Building. The labs are being upgraded with the addition of fixed computer workstations and wireless laptop computers. New exhaust hoods will provide better protection for students during experiments.

By Nancy Prater, Web Editor

NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Kevin Kenyon by e-mail at kkenyon@bsu.edu or by phone at (765) 285-8988. )