Lenoir's Roof To Be Repaired During Summer

The building will remain open while its roof is repaired in an effort to minimize the inconvenience to students remaining on campus this summer, officials said.

Ira Simon, director of Carolina Dining Services, said the roof must be repaired after snow and ice seeped under the roof lining and leaked into the interior part of the building.

Damaged ceiling tiles have been replaced but are only a temporary fix until the summer, Simon said.

If it snows again this winter, more leakage could occur.

Rain, however, does not cause problems for the roof because it simply runs off the building without damaging the roof's lining, Simon said.

The repairs, which contractors now estimate will take 60 days, will begin May 15, Simon said.

Bruce Runberg, associate vice chancellor for facilities services, said that although Lenoir underwent a major renovation in 1998, that project dealt mainly with internal improvements.

Simon said the roof was neither replaced nor repaired during the renovations three years ago.

But at that time, building inspectors informed CDS that the roof eventually would have to be fixed.

"It was at that point that we realized we would need to replace it in the near future," Runberg said.

He said the damage resulted solely from age.

"It's an old roof, and it has had some problems along the way," he said.

Simon said CDS originally estimated that the repairs would take two weeks and planned to schedule the work for December to avoid traffic problems with staff and students.

But when contractors assessed the roof and its leaks, they found that the damage was more severe than previously thought.

Runberg said bidding on the project will begin in February and that a contractor should be chosen by March or April.

He said officials have budgeted 90 to 120 work days and $135,000 for the project.

But Runberg said he feels confident that estimates are high and that the work could cost less and take less time than is being predicted.

Runberg said the dining hall will not close during summer construction.

The roof will be repaired in sections, allowing the hall to remain open.

"It's standard procedure to repair the roof without closing the building," Runberg said.

Carole Acquesta, facility architect, said officials are working to ensure that students are not inconvenienced by the construction.

"We've tried to identify what the least impacting area will be to students," Acquesta said.

"The building will remain open, and the area around the building will remain open for pedestrian access."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.