05/02/95

CONTACT: Stanford University News Service (650) 723-2558

Phase One of work on new quad to begin in mid-May

STANFORD -- Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-May on the first phase of the new Science and Engineering Quad, the conversion of the western part of Serra Street, between Lomita and Campus Drive, to a landscaped mall.

Also included in the first phase of the massive four-year project is the construction of utilities -- electrical, gas, water, chilled water and steam lines, as well as sewer lines -- to support the new quadrangle; an increase in the size and scope of existing utilities; and the replacement of outdated utilities.

The Phase One construction period is scheduled to last until January 1996. Serra Street will be closed from Lomita west to Campus Drive, including the section that has been closed for more than a year during construction of the Gates Information Sciences Building. In addition, Campus Drive between Roth Way and Via Ortega will be reduced from two barrels to one. The barrel closest to the main campus will be closed, with two-way traffic on the barrel closest to the Medical Center.

The installation of fencing around the affected areas should begin the week of May 15, said Michael Kuntz, civil engineer with Facilities Operations.

The work on the new quad will continue in three additional main phases through the end of 1998. The $108 million project was announced last October, when a record donation of $77.4 million by Stanford alumni William Hewlett and David Packard made the project possible.

The quad includes new buildings for the departments of Statistics and Electrical Engineering, a materials research laboratory complex and a regional teaching facility to replace Bloch Hall (the Physics Tank), which is among the buildings scheduled to be demolished. McCullough and Varian will be renovated, and a landscaped courtyard will be installed.

The conversion of Serra to a mall is part of university efforts to redesign the campus along the original plan of Frederick Law Olmsted. The Planning Office says part of the master plan for the west campus, which incorporates the Science and Engineering Quad, is the introduction of a north/south axis connecting the residences around Lagunita with the Stanford Museum, and the strengthening of an east/west axis connecting the humanities (in the Main Quad) to the sciences (in the new quad and beyond).

In addition, the design is intended to increase safety for bicyclists, pedestrians and riders of the Marguerite shuttle system. The new mall will feature hydraulic bollards that can be raised and lowered to permit access for Marguerite shuttle buses and emergency vehicles.

The mall will have broad pedestrian sidewalks and a separate right of way for bicycles, an idea contained in the original Olmsted plan. A number of trees will be planted as part of the project. A new grove will be created on the west side of the Main Quad to complement Dohrman Grove near the Art Gallery.

The closure of this portion of Serra Street will result in the loss of about 35 parking spaces. Over the years, more parking spaces will be lost because of construction of the quad, which will be designated a primarily pedestrian zone.

To help make up for the reduction in parking spaces, the office of Transportation Programs plans to increase Marguerite service in and around the area, starting in the fall. They will adjust the routes and frequency as needed during and after construction.

More detailed information on the new quad's impact on parking and transportation will be made available as the project progresses.

Besides expansion of the Marguerite service, bicycle parking in the area of the new quad will be improved, Jeffrey Tumlin of Transportation Programs said. A survey by the office found that 70 percent of the regular occupants of the buildings in the area keep a bicycle in their office or lab. When the new Science and Engineering Quad buildings open, they will be served by more than 1,000 bicycle rack spaces, in addition to the 660 rack spaces being installed around the new Gates building, which will open later this year.

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