UNews - Greg Lacey

Future of Penny Building looks bright

trevor.kenney — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:23:46 +0000

It's taken a few years, but the redevelopment of the downtown Dr. James Foster Penny Building is coming along. Parts of the building are already accessible and the main floor is set to open in January 2013. A recent $800,000-renovation to Level 1 and sections of Level 2 has enhanced the building immensely.

Upon completion, the Alumni Relations office within ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Advancement will move into its new home, complete with five offices and a meeting room. As well, a new ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ gift shop will be created and the art gallery space updated, allowing Faculty of Fine Arts students a venue to showcase their work. The building's entrance will also be spruced up and the stairwell to the second floor is receiving a facelift.

An artist's conception of the lobby area inside the Penny Building.

The U of L Conservatory of Music is calling the second level of the Penny Building home until it moves into the new downtown Community Arts Centre in the spring of 2013.

Meanwhile, other areas of Level 2 continue to undergo construction, including a community meeting room, boardroom and upgrades to the washrooms and kitchen area.

The U of L Call Centre is also housed on the upper level of the building. It will continue to occupy the space part time throughout the year.

Renovations to the Penny Building have been ongoing since it was donated to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 2007. Formerly a furniture store and a pool hall, the Penny Building has a long history in Lethbridge. Unfortunately, it wasn't in the greatest condition when the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ took ownership, and with no set purpose for its use, construction to the building didn't get off to a roaring start.

The Project Management Office (PMO) first began work on the building to make it functional starting with the creation of gallery space for the Faculty of Fine Arts. However, there was a slight delay before the gallery could move in.

"We were doing the renovation for Fine Arts, but at the time, the Southern Alberta Art Gallery needed a home because their building was being renovated, says Project Manager Greg Lacey. "So we renovated the Penny Building for Fine Arts knowing that they wouldn't move in until after SAAG was done occupying the building."

In 2010, SAAG moved out and Fine Arts moved in, and soon after the PMO began an overhaul of the mechanical components throughout the building. Previously, each floor was broken into two zones, which offered little control of the heating and cooling systems among other mechanical operations.

"We did that for functionality of the space because we wanted to be able to mechanically zone the area to outfit anything we wanted to," says Lacey.

All renovations included the installation of energy efficient lighting and low voltage relays. A new hot water tank was also installed.

"We are using anything we can to make the building as energy efficient as possible," says Lacey.

Situated in downtown Lethbridge, the 2,862 gross sq. m. Penny Building not only presents more space for U of L programming, it is the perfect site for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to host events and further immerse itself into the community – part of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's strategic plan to build relationships off campus.

"Right from the get-go, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ identified the building as a good place to have galas and other events," says Lacey, adding many events have already been held on the site.

Future phases of the building project have yet to be outlined, but it may include renovations to the bar, art gallery area, and storage space as well as new signage.

This story first appeared in the December 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the entire issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Stairwell work begins

trevor.kenney — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 17:36:25 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall has been undergoing extensive renovations to its fire alarm and fire compartmentalization systems since April in order to meet current Alberta Building Code requirements.

While most of the work will take place in ventilation and service shafts, some work will also occur in stairwells and hallways throughout ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall. Noise disruptions and stairwell closures throughout the summer months may present some frustration for users, but the end result will ensure that safety of students, staff, faculty and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ guests is not compromised should a fire occur.

Starting July 4 and continuing through July 6, the stairwell in Block A will be closed while the contractor removes existing doors and frames. Stairwell access points will be cornered off using removable construction gates. In the event of an emergency or fire alarm, the gates will be rolled aside for public to exit. Signage and detour information will be provided at each access point.

Access to Block A in ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall can be gained by using the elevator which will remain open, or by using the Block B stairwell to get to the level you need and then walking over to Block A. Work in the stairwells on Levels 4 and 5 in Block A will be performed after hours to maintain access during the day.

From July 2 to 5, ventilation in Blocks D and E will be shut down in the evening hours for renovations, but the system will be restored during the day.

The $2.2 million project includes upgrades to fire stops to existing fire walls in mechanical shafts, stairwells, electrical and janitor rooms; upgrades to smoke separations and safety improvements to five mechanical shafts; and programming of the fire alarm system to align with revised exit strategies. New fire rated doors and frames are also being installed.

Construction on the project began in April with the majority of the work expected to be complete in early September. Some non-disruptive fire stopping work will continue through to November.

Information on construction-related interruptions will be updated on the Notice Board regularly.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Fire Safety Plan, which details procedures for construction closures, is available at www.uleth.ca/security/content/facility-fire-plan.

For more information, contact Project Manager Greg Lacey at 403-380-1891 or greg.lacey@uleth.ca

Honouring long service

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 May 2011 21:24:26 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ held its annual Long Service Awards and Retirement Recognition Ceremony recently, honouring 116 employees who have completed 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years of service. A total of 23 retiring employees were also honoured.

Following is a list of honoured employees.

RETIREES

Art Aitken, Dayna Daniels, Richard Epp, Rex Forsyth, Eldon Gardner, Wolfgang Holzmann, Bill Hudgins, Joan Kendall, Leslie Lavers, Lucie Linhart, Gerald McConaghy, Linda McLeod, Ken Nicol, Seamus O'Shea, Doug Parker, Ramrattie Ramtej, Donna Seyed Mahmoud, Ches Skinner, Philippe Teillet, Linda Van Esch, Wendy Vogel, Nick Wade and Ian Wells

LONG SERVICE RECIPIENTS

40 Years | Maria Draper

35 Years | Chris Charles, Bryan Kolb, Peter McCormick and Gerda VanderFluit

30 Years | Jane Allan, Cheryl Calver, Dayna Daniels, Gayle Durand, Rex Forsyth, Laurel Hamilton, Jay Johnston, Linda Kucheran, Greg Martin, David Naylor, Shari Platt and Leanne Wehlage-Ellis

25 Years | Shamsul Alam, Lana Barton, Bryson Brown, Cathy Campbell, Patricia Chuchryk, Leslie Gatner, Allan Gergel, Nancy Grigg, Tyler Hayward, Mary Anne Hellinga, Wolfgang Holzmann, Bill Hudgins, Margaret Joblonkay, Kas Mazurek, Alice Miller, Richard Mrazek, Thomas Robinson, Doug Ross, Jadranka Smiljanec, Brian Sullivan, Richard Tedesco, David Townsend, Sandy Wiest and Joan Zimmer

20 Years | Patti-Jo Aiken, Linda Anderson, Roberto Aragon-Garcia, Jochen Bocksnick, Carl Budny, James Byrne, Peter Dibble, Deborah Grant, Bill Halma, Andrew Hurly, Janet Macdonald, Karen McCallum, Louise Miller, Al Mueller, Claudia Notzke, Sergio Pellis, Dwayne Pepin, Vern Peterson, Maria Quinteros, Kathy Schrage, Colleen Sullivan, Brian Titley, Donna Townley and Mark Walton

15 Years | Doug Berry, James Dobbie, Jackie Edwards, Lance Grigg,
Michelle Hogue, Marie Matkin, Ian McAdam, Gerald McConaghy, Chris Moroz, Jeff Oliver, Derek Peddle, Michael Perry, John Poulsen, William Ramp, Keith Roscoe, Elizabeth Schultz, Ivan Townshend and Kenneth Vos

10 Years | Louise Arsenault, Stella Baah, Brenda Bell, Donald Birchfield, Ryan Buckman, Jill Cassidy, Lorena deLange, Christopher Epplett, Margaret Forgie, Don Gill, Bill Glaister, Val Hill, Patricia Horrocks, Nancy Hosgood, Frank Huss, Deborah Jarvie, Helen Kelley, Carol Knibbs, Keith Knowles, Josh Korthuis, Christopher Kukucha, Greg Lacey, Corie Lazenby, Wayne Lippa, Karen Mahar, Jeremiah Merkl, Josephine Mills, Joy Morris, Chris Nicol, Chris Picken, Jeremy Pierson, Mike Pinder, Catharine Reader, Michael Robinson, Victor Rodych, Tammy Rogness, Mark Sabo, Robin Schafthuizen, Shelley Scott, Behnam Seyed Mahmoud, Gerry Ste. Marie, Robert Sutherland, William Tietz, Raquel Trillia, John von Heyking, Kevin Ward, Katherine Wasiak, Robert Williams, Barbara Williams, Jim Wishloff, Robert Wood and Jing Zhu

To view the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

UNews - Greg Lacey

Future of Penny Building looks bright

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Stairwell work begins

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Honouring long service

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