Ongoing construction at UTEP has led to all kinds of reception from students and faculty alike. Big red signs scatter across campus as students walk straight to or around the construction to their classes. While some may be complaining or praising the construction, others wonder when it will all end?
According to UTEP staff, some of these projects are set to finish within another year or so. As construction continues, what does the end goal mean for UTEP students?
UTEP’s Assistant to the AVP Facilities Management, Sheila Awalt considers the construction a way to “enhance the students’ experience.”
The University says with these new facilities and resources, students can enjoy materials all fit for a Tier 1 research university. One of the latest editions to campus is the Advanced Manufacturing and Aerospace Center, meant to provide cutting edge research with more educational space.
“So currently we have the Advanced Manufacturing and Aerospace Building that is across from the Chemistry and Computer Science Building at the corner of Hawthorne and Rim,” Awalt said. “That building broke ground last year, so we’re looking at construction at least through the next year on that building.”
One misconception of this construction on campus is that it has not been ongoing. UTEP has been a recipient of grants for new facilities for years and these projects are the result of such awards.
With these new buildings and roadwork, like the current improvement of Schuster Avenue controlled by the city, students can look forward to newer, upgraded resources. The roadwork on Schuster, while notorious for Miners who park in the surrounding parking lots, has worthwhile goals.
“The Schuster Avenue Improvement Project consists of reconstructing the roadway from Prospect to Campbell,” Tammy Fonce, a spokesperson for the City of El Paso Capital Improvement Department said. “To minimize impact to traffic, crews are performing the work in phases. Construction work is expected to be completed in spring, 2024.”
Other benefits of the upgraded street include improved lighting, drainage, landscaping, signing and more. Though dealing with the construction can be frustrating to some, or stressful as one UTEP student recalls it.
“It doesn’t directly affect where I drive through on campus, but I can imagine it’s super stressful for the people with parking near it,” Lorraine Salazar, a psychology major at UTEP said. “It definitely affects everyone since traffic builds up all around campus.”
They say it is the journey, not the destination that matters, but for construction on campus, it may be the other way around for some students. Although these projects will continue into the next year and 2025 the better resources for students may just be worth it.
Elisha Nunez is staff reporter and may be reached at [email protected]
