King Hall Construction Soars, Renovation Plans Move Forward
Construction of King Hall's new east wing is moving rapidly forward, and plans for renovation of the existing Law School building, including a complete remodeling of the Mabie Law Library, are being finalized in anticipation of the beginning of the project's renovation phase in May 2010.
Over the course of the summer, the contractor, K.O.O. Construction, made quick strides in assembling the outer walls of the new east wing and installing its stairwell and utilities infrastructure. Crews hastened to complete the most disruptive work prior to the beginning of the fall semester, when potentially disruptive activities will be scheduled for late night and early morning hours to avoid disturbing faculty and students.
K.O.O. is currently working to weatherize the new structure before the beginning of October so that construction can continue unhindered by inclement weather during the winter months. Coming weeks will see the contractor working to clad exterior wall sections with brick, install windows, and pour concrete for the elevator tower.
Meanwhile, specifics of the plan to renovate the existing building are being finalized. Law School deans, faculty, and staff met for two days in mid-August with Thomas Hacker Architects as well as UC Davis architects and engineers to discuss renovation planning and prepare the construction drawings. The ambitious plans call for the complete remodeling of the Mabie Law Library, which will be reconfigured to include three new reading rooms and a reading lounge, as well as major improvements to public areas, the faculty wing, and existing classrooms.
The Law School continues to raise private funds toward the $8 million campaign goal for the building project. Though the state's portion of the project's funding is in place, the Law School still must raise roughly $3 million to realize the full potential of the renovation phase.