From: Ronnie Smith, Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance
Subject:  Hurricane Katrina Recovery – Update #13
Posted: March 28, 2006

LSU's stunning upset of #1 ranked Duke and overtime victory over #2 seed Texas, reminds us that desire, determination, dedication and teamwork can overcome significant challenges.   Researchers are continuing to move back into the Medical Education Building and the Lion’s/LSU Clinic Building; both of which reopened on March 6^th.  Research is underway, samples are coming back from their temporary sites, and people are adjusting to some of the challenges of returning “home”.  Much remains to be done, but a great deal has been accomplished and we have much to be proud of!   Work is well underway to meet the next major objectives in the recovery effort. 

We remain optimistic that Stanislaus Hall will be reopening soon as work on the environmental remediation, elevator repairs and various building water pumps is completed.  Work continues on schedule in support of the projected reopening of the Nursing/Allied Health in mid-April and food services will soon be available in the MEB as the cafeteria is preparing to reopen and begin operations.  Though the environmental remediation work is more involved and time consuming in the Residence Hall (due in large part to the removal and replacement of a large number of damage floor tiles), it is also projected to be reopened in the next month or so.

Progress on repairs to the elevators in the downtown campus buildings has continued.  Inspections of repaired elevators are beginning to occur in the MEB, the Lion’s/LSU Clinic Building, and Stanislaus Hall.  The repairs to the emergency power generators that serve the downtown campus buildings continue.  The generator on the roof of the MEB, which supplies emergency power to the majority of the research freezers and walk in coolers, was restored to normal operations recently.  Repairs to the other building generators are also underway. 

The 2^nd environmental remediation contract for the downtown campus has now been awarded.  Work crews began on Monday, March 13^th in all four of the buildings: the Residence Hall, Stanislaus Hall, the Nursing/Allied Health Building and the Resource Center.   Work is progressing on schedule.  The bid specifications for a similar contract to address 1542 Tulane Ave. and other smaller structures on the downtown campus have been completed and prices are being solicited now.

The architect/engineering firm responsible for the Dental School campus completed their 2^nd set of specifications for temporary repairs to key building systems and prices are being solicited now.  The contract for the temporary repairs to the buildings’ electrical systems is expected to be awarded shortly.  Planning continues on the best approach to make permanent repairs and prevent damage to critical building systems should a similar event ever occur. 

Here are highlights of work that has been accomplished since our last update was posted on Friday, March 10^th.

• The contract for the second environmental remediation contract addressing the Nursing/Allied Health Building, the Residence Hall, Stanislaus Hall and the Resource Center has been awarded.  Crews began work at all four locations on March 13^th.  Progress by building follows:
  • Residence Hall:  All of the damaged floor tiles will have been removed from all floors by Saturday, March 25^th.
  • Stanislaus Hall:  All of the basic clean has been completed on every floor.  Cleaning of the stairwells and mechanical rooms is underway.
  • Nursing/Allied Health:  The cleaning has been completed from the top floor down to the 8^th floor.
  • Resource Center:  All of the floors have been cleaned.
• The accelerated pace of repairs to building elevators continue.  Inspections by the State Elevator Inspector have been requested or will be requested shortly for the passenger elevators at the MEB, the Lion’s/LSU Clinic Building and Stanislaus Hall.
  • Until permanent repairs are completed and elevators certified by the State Elevator Inspector, routine use has been discontinued.  Restricting the use of elevators in buildings where the environmental remediation has not been completed will help to minimize further spreading of mold to upper floors.
• School of Dentistry restoration:  Regular weekly meetings with representatives from the architectural/engineering firms, the Office of Facility Planning & Control, FEMA and LSUHSC have continued and will remain as a scheduled item for some time.  
  • The architect/engineering firm responsible for the Dental School campus has completed specifications for temporary repairs to key building systems that, when completed, will allow the re-occupancy of upper floors of the Clinic and Administration buildings.   The repairs will focus on the building switch gear, chillers, key building pumps, clinic systems, and safety systems.  The architects continue to use an expedited procurement process to secure contractors to complete this temporary repair work. 
  • The 1^st of the bid packages for temporary repairs to building electrical systems and for temporary air conditioning at the Dental School has been completed. An award is anticipated shortly.
  • The 2^nd of the bid packages for temporary repairs has been developed and the solicitation of bids is underway.  Bids are due to be returned late next week.
• Downtown campus restoration:  Regular weekly meetings with representatives from the architectural/engineering firms, the Office of Facility Planning & Control, FEMA and LSUHSC have continued and will remain as a scheduled item for some time. 
  • The 2^nd environmental remediation contact has been awarded.  It addresses the Residence Hall, Stanislaus Hall, the Nursing/Allied Health Building, and the Resource Center.  Work began on all four buildings on March 13^th and is on schedule.
  • The 3^rd environmental remediation contact specifications have been approved and prices are being solicited now.
  • The architects are working on a series of smaller projects that have been “carved out” of the larger permanent repair work to facilitate the return of the Medical School classes to campus.
• Contracts have been awarded for the repairs to various types of pumps to supply water and heat to the Residence Hall, MEB, CSRB, Lion’s Eye Center, Nursing/Allied Health, and Resource Center.  Parts were ordered continue to arrive on site.  LSUHSC has provided the contractors with the list of priorities by building for these repairs; however the availability of some parts may impact on the ability to strictly adhere to the priorities.
• Contracts to repair the fire alarm systems and their components in downtown campus buildings have been awarded to the vendors who currently provide annual maintenance to the systems.  This approach will insure that the systems can be re-certified and remain under the existing maintenance contract.  Several of the systems have been repaired and inspected and work continues in the remaining buildings. 
  • Stanislaus Hall:  Completed and inspected. 
  • CSRB:  Completed and inspected.
  • MEB: Completed and the inspection has been scheduled.
  • Lion’s Eye Center:  Completed and inspected.
  • Nursing/Allied Health:  The contract has been awarded for the repairs to the fire alarm system.  Work is expected to being shortly as parts become available.
  • Resource Center:  The repairs required for the fire alarm system have been identified and the contract has been issued.  Work will begin as parts arrive.
• The contract to make the needed repairs to Animal Care cage washers, bottle washers and sterilizers at the CSRB is substantially complete.  Cages are being washed on the 1^st floor now.
• The contract for the repairs to the emergency generators at the CSRB, MEB, Lion’s Eye Center, Nursing/Allied Health Bldg., Resource Center and the Residence Hall has been awarded.  Work has begun on several of the generators, and parts are on order. 
  • The repairs have been completed on the roof mounted generator at the MEB.  This provides emergency power to the majority of the researchers freezers and walk in coolers in that building.
• A contract has been issued for repairs to the medical air compressors, vacuum pumps and water purifiers at the CSRB, Lion’s Eye Center and the MEB.   Parts are on order and repairs will begin as soon as the parts begin to arrive.
• Work under a contract to clean, decontaminate and re-certify the biosafety cabinets in research labs began on March 15^th.  There are 100 cabinets covered under the contract.
• The library collection has been removed from the Resource Center in preparation for the environmental remediation contractor.  The collection is being cleaned and will be returned and re-shelved when the remediation has been completed.
• Repairs to the boilers at the MEB are substantially completed.  Both are on line and operating, but some additional work remains to be done to the electronic controllers.
• The core switch at the CSRB has been replaced and full Internet access is available due to the efforts of the School of Medicine’s PC Supporters in patching and updating all of the machines.
• Similarly, full Internet access is now available on Floors 5-7 in the MEB as the School of Medicine PC Supporters completing the patching and updating of machines on those floors as well.
• Claims for the building content losses are being prepared and submitted to FEMA, ORM and the Office of Facility Planning & Control.  Initial submissions include:
  • All movable property (capitalized assets) that was lost due to flooding in basement spaces and on 1^st floors.  (Over $5 million in losses in this submission alone.)
  • Biochemistry losses for their labs located in the Dental Clinic Building, the MEB and the CSRB.
  • Genetics losses for labs located in the CSRB.
  • Alcohol Research Center losses for labs in the CSRB.

As additional data on losses is gathered and verified, more claims will be submitted.  Claim information is coming in from Physiology, Nephrology, Ophthalmology, Pharmacology, the Neuroscience Center, Microbiology, etc. and will be packaged for submission shortly.

We hope that you continue to find this information helpful.  Don’t forget that Daily Updates are also posted on the web site so that you can follow the recovery progress more closely.