Mezzanine between Anderson, Gladfelter halls is removed

The promenades bridging Anderson and Gladfelter halls closed earlier this semester for structural improvements.

The first part of a two-part project to renovate the mezzanine costs $2.6 million, and the budget for part two has not yet been finalized.

The mezzanine’s infrastructure, including the roof and pavement stones, will be replaced during the first phase of the project, which is expected to be completed in May. The entire project is expected to be completed by December, said Dozie Ibeh, the associate vice president of Temple’s Project Delivery Group.

Pavement stones and the roofing will be repaired during phase one to allow better water drainage, Ibeh said.

The second phase of the project will begin this summer, Ibeh said. Possible additions during phase two are still being evaluated.

“Between now and then, there will be further discussion of evaluation and analysis of the project,” Ibeh said.

Ibeh said the university is also considering installing a green roof, which is an eco-friendly roof partially covered in vegetation that can manage stormwater, but this addition isn’t finalized yet, Ibeh said.

According to the Philadelphia Water Department, the most cost-effective time to install a green roof on a building is when a roof already needs to be replaced.

The university’s new $170 million library, which will be completed in May 2019, is expected to have a green roof, The Temple News reported in November 2017. The Architecture Building on 13th Street near Norris already has a green roof.

The construction will keep the promenades closed, but there will still be paths through the construction area for students to walk, Ibeh said.

Before this area was temporarily closed, the space offered a place for students and faculty to sit outside.

“I see a lot of people out there laying on their book bags,” said Nicole Demcenko, a sophomore public relations major. “I don’t think they really need much more. It’s a nice place.”