Preparation Begins For Student Health And Counseling Center

Construction prep-work is underway along 17th Street as the lawns of Belvin-Buchanan and Elliot halls are dug up to prepare for the new Student Health and Counseling Center, according to the July 16 Houstonian:

The chill water loop will eventually run around the the entire Sam Houston State University campus, but for now is being laid around Belvin and Estill, according to the project’s director Mike Lampson.

“Due to future growth and expansion of the university, we are putting in some new, below-grade utilities to include chill, water, electricity and data infrastructures,” Lampson said.

The pipes will run water to the former King Hall site, which will now support the Student Health Center that was approved by students in the Spring election.

Lampson said laying this section was necessary to start initial construction, but that it was a benefit to have the groundwork done ahead of the structure being built.

The construction will also provide an upgrade to Belvin-Buchanan and Elliot Halls. The new pipes will be able to deliver more water to and from the building, and at a more efficient rate. The water is originally stored in the university’s West Plant.

The chill water loop, as it’s called, is being built in segments as needed by the university to a certain schedule rather than closing down a major part of campus all at once.

The first segment of the loop was laid beginning at the West Plant traveling down Sam Houston Avenue, across 17th Street to the corner of Belvin-Buchanan. That segment is used to provide air conditioning to the Old Main Market cafeteria finished in 2011.

Lampson said the current project will stop at the northeast corner of Belvin-Buchanan, before tapping into another system and running north to 16th Street. There the unversity will work with Entergy to place above-ground electrical lines underground that are currently running along the west side of Avenue J. Lampson said this, in part, is done for cosmetic reasons as it will be adjacent to the new health center.

The construction has been in progress since June when the road running along Sorority Hill and Elliot was closed and workers dug long ditches in order to lay the pipe.