From: Ronnie Smith, Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance
Subject:  Hurricane Katrina Recovery – Update #5
Posted: November 23, 2005

We continue to make progress on a number of tasks related to both temporary and permanent repairs to the campus facilities. In our work with the State’s Office of Facility Planning & Control and Office of Risk Management, FEMA and the LSU Systems Office we have agreed upon strategies designed to re-open the upper floors of the three primary research buildings as early as possible (MEB, CSRB, & Lions Eye Center).

This approach will involve "sealing off" the 1^st floors (where mold and other environmental issues remain to be addressed through the major repair/renovation projects) and cleaning of the upper floors. It will also require getting key building systems repaired or replaced (fire pump systems, switchgear, domestic water pumps, etc.) so that the buildings can be occupied. Much of this work is already underway. (Details are contained in the list of highlights at the end of this document.)

Key animal care space to support research on the downtown campus was located on the 1^st floors of two of the three research buildings (MEB and CSRB) and these spaces cannot be rapidly renovated. Alternatives for providing temporary animal care facilities including the use of the CSRB 2^nd floor facilities and temporary modular facilities are being explored. Temporary modular animal care facilities have recently been used at Texas A&M, are currently in use at Univ. of Virginia and are planned for use at Univ. of Cal-Davis during major building renovation projects. The availability of 2^nd floor access via the pedestrian walkways will be a significant advantage to us as we press towards this goal, as it will allow employees to enter and exit the buildings without going through the un-remediated 1^st floor spaces.

In the 10/28/05 update, we also shared the general pattern that we anticipate following for completing the major building repairs. Here is a summary of that pattern and recent notes on progress:

• Architect Selection. OFPC is using an expedited process to select architect(s).
  • NOTE: The State’s Architect Selection Board met on 11/21/05 to consider proposals for the two LSUHSC-NO major repair/renovation projects; one for the downtown campus and one for the Dental School. The downtown campus project was awarded to the firm of Duplantier & Meric, while the Board deferred a decision on the award of the Dental School project until their meeting of 12/13/05.
• Develop Bid Package(s) For Building Repair. The architect(s) selected will begin developing the bid packages for the repairs needed in each building.
• Develop Environmental Remediation Plans and Specifications. Concurrent with the above, the selected architect(s) will also develop plans and specifications for the work needed to perform any environmental remediation in the flood damaged buildings.
• Bid and Award Contract(s). The bid packages for building repairs and the plans/specifications for the environmental remediation will be advertised, bids received, and the contracts awarded.
• Construction, Repair & Remediation. The contractor(s) selected will complete the repairs required. The environmental remediation work will also be completed during this phase.
• Final Inspections. As a contractor completes the work for a building, the final inspections will be scheduled and completed.

During the first town hall meeting held at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, some questions regarding the status of the campus residence halls were raised. The Residence Hall and Stanislaus Hall are the two buildings in which students have been housed in the past. Both were impacted by the flood waters, as were all the buildings on campus. The following is a brief summary of their current status:

• The Residence hall currently has 22 vacant apartments (1, 2 & 3 bedroom) and 7 vacant dorm rooms. Three units require some minor renovations (not storm related). The Residence Hall does not have a true 1^st floor, so major building renovations due to the flood are not expected to be necessary as they will be in other buildings. However all the major building systems (fire pumps, switchgear, etc.) were located on the 1^st level, so repairs or replacements are already underway on those systems.
  • One of the two domestic water pumps has been replaced and the 2^nd is to be removed and sent to be rebuilt shortly.
  • The contract to repair/replace the switchgear has been issued to Fisk Electric.
  • The fire pump controller panel was repaired on 11/7.
  • All of the refrigerators have been removed from the rooms and the major cleaning of the kitchens & baths in the facility has been completed.
  • Some temporary elevator repairs have been made and parts for permanent repairs are being ordered by the elevator maintenance contractor.

• Stanislaus Hall currently has 70 dorm suites vacant. The building also has a more traditional 1^st floor configuration and is one of the three LSUHSC-NO buildings with a basement. The lower floors in the building were being renovated to accommodate the Wellness Center and the Daycare Center. The dormitory living was limited to the upper floors and that space was basically undamaged. Like most other buildings, the major building systems were located in the basement and were fully immersed in floor waters for many days.
  • All of the refrigerators have been removed from the rooms and the major cleaning of the kitchens & baths in the facility has been completed.
  • A contract that includes the repair/replacement of city water pumps and sump pumps is out for bid now.
  • A contract to remove flood-damaged furniture and equipment from basements and 1^st floor campus spaces has been awarded and work is well underway.
  • A contract to remove flood-damaged carpeting and other semi-porous building materials from basements and 1^st floor campus spaces is out for bid. Some temporary elevator repairs have been made and parts for permanent repairs are being ordered by the elevator maintenance contractor.

Here are highlights of work that has been accomplished since our update posted on Friday, November 11^th.

• The contract with the architectural/engineering firms to assess the damage to the campus buildings is coming to a close, as they work to complete the extensive written documentation and photographic evidence of the damage to campus buildings. Negotiations are underway to amend the contract to provide for the design of plans to environmentally seal off the 1^st floors of the MEB, CSRB, and Lions Eye Center buildings, in hopes of expediting re-occupancy of the upper floors.
• The assessment of the damage to elevators across the campus continues. Repair parts are beginning to arrive. As they do, the permanent repairs to individual elevators will begin. The contractors have continued to assist in making temporary repairs to get selected elevators in buildings operating.
• Implementation of the plans for providing temporary housing in Baton Rouge for students, faculty and staff continue to progress. Room assignments on the FinnJet ship continue being made for faculty and staff as requests for rooms are received. We have received all of the 110 house trailers that were ordered and all but approximately 10 have been connected to utilities and passed inspection. The assignment of trailers has continued as they have been turned over to the institution.
• A new contract is being bid to clean various portions of the Dental School Administration and Clinic Buildings.
• Movable equipment and furnishings in basements and 1^st floors has been assessed by LSUHSC staff and work under the contract for the removal and disposal of the items that are not salvageable continues. Work has been completed at the Resource Center, the Lions Eye Center, the CSRB, the Nursing/Allied Health Bldg., the Auxiliary Enterprises warehouse, HDC Library and HDC 124, and the Medical Education Bldg. Rapid progress continues.
• Work on the permanent repair/rebuilding of domestic water pumps in the Resource Center, Residence Hall, and MEB continues. The 1^st pump removed from the Residence Hall has been rebuilt and installed. The remaining (backup) pumps from the Resource Center, Residence Hall and MEB have now been removed and have been sent to be rebuilt.
• The re-circulating pump at the MEB has been rebuilt and reinstalled.
• The bid solicitation for the emergency removal and disposal of carpet, wall board, and other porous & semi-porous materials from basements & 1st floors to prevent further spread of mold was released on 11/3/05. Addenda to the solicitation were issued to answer a number of questions that arose out of the pre-bid conference and responses are now due on 11/28/05.
• A bid solicitation to make permanent repairs to the switchgear in the Residence Hall, CSRB, Lions Eye Center and Nursing/Allied Health Buildings was awarded on 11/16/05 to Fisk Electric.
• Permanent repairs to the MEB switchgear are in progress and power has been restored to most of the building, except for one quadrant. LSUHSC Facilities staff are now testing various circuits throughout the building.
• Permanent repairs to the switchgear at the Resource Center were completed on 11/16/05.
• The State of Louisiana Architect Selection Board awarded the design contract for the major repairs/renovations to the downtown campus buildings to the firm of Duplantier & Meric at the meeting of 11/21/05. The award of the contract for the Dental School campus was deferred to the Board’s meeting of 12/13/05.
• A bid solicitation has been issued on 11/10/05 to make permanent repairs to various types of pumps to supply water and heat to the Residence Hall, MEB, CSRB, Lions Eye Center, Nursing/Allied Health, and Resource Center. One addendum has been issued and responses are due on 11/28/05.
• A bid solicitation for the permanent refurbishment or replacement of fire pump systems in the Nursing/Allied Health Bldg, the Residence Hall, the Resource Center, the CSRB, the Lions Eye Center and the MEB has been issued. Responses are due to be received on 12/2/2005.
• A small contract was awarded on 11/15 for the repairs to the MEB boilers.

We trust that you continue to find this information helpful. You may also want to read the Daily Updates posted on the web site to received more frequent information on progress.