Facilities Management – Augsburg University

Northbound I-35W Ramp and I-94 Lane Closures

Beginning at 5 a.m. on Monday, October 28, 2o24, the ramp from northbound I-35W to eastbound I-94 will be closed through Friday, November 29. Both directions of I-94 will also be reduced to two lanes between 11th Avenue South and Franklin Avenue Southeast.

The lane and ramp closures are necessary to allow crews to build crossovers to shift traffic during construction on I-94 in 2025. Crews will be doing maintenance and repair work on five bridges along I-94 in Minneapolis.

Visit the I-94 Minneapolis MNDOT project webpage for more information.

I-94 Construction Begins Fall 2024

Starting in October 2024, MnDOT will begin bridge preservation and maintenance work on five bridges along I-94 in Minneapolis. Construction is expected to last through November 2025. View the project fact sheet here.

The project area includes:

I-94 bridge (Dartmouth Bridge) that spans the Mississippi River
Riverside Ave bridge over I-94
I-94 over Cedar Ave
I-94 over the Light Rail Transit (Blue Line)
I-94 over Hwy 55/Hiawatha Ave

In fall 2024, motorists can expect overnight and some daytime lane closures on I-94 between downtown Minneapolis and the Franklin Ave bridge over I-94 to construct crossovers that will allow crews to shift traffic the following year.

During construction in 2025, motorists can expect I-94 to be reduced to two lanes in each direction between Hwy 55/Hiawatha Ave and the Franklin Ave bridge over I-94. Crews will also need to temporarily close ramps along I-94 at Huron Blvd, Riverside Ave, Cedar Ave, and 6th St and 7th St near downtown Minneapolis.

View I-94 project details and sign up to receive MnDOT updates by email.

Work Finishing Up on Murphy Square

Work on the updates to Murphy Square park is expected to finish up this week, creating new east-to-west walkways lined with lights and benches across the park.

The work also included grouping tables and grills as well as grading and reseeding areas affected by the work.

This week, crews are scheduled to remove the perimeter fencing, opening the park’s pathways up for use. In some spaces within the park, fencing will remain in order to protect newly seeded ground. In other areas, seeded spaces will not have fencing. Park users are encouraged to avoid walking on the newly seeded areas this fall (see photos, below) to help new grass take root for next spring.

New path through Murphy Square with fencing on either side to protect newly seeded ground — Some areas of Murphy Square may continue to have fencing to protect newly seeded ground.

New path through Murphy Square with light-colored, seeded areas along each side — Areas affected by the renovation work in Murphy Square have been reseeded. (See the lighter areas along the path in this photo.) Park users should avoid walking on the newly seeded areas this fall.

Seating and Food Service

With several athletics teams returning to campus this weekend, and first-year students moving in next week, the Augsburg Dining Commons is getting ready to re-open.

The furniture in the Dining Commons is a mix of existing tables and chairs along with new soft-seating banquettes (pictured below) and three new counter-height tables.

Pedestal tables and wood-grain chairs lined up along banquette seating with colorful back rests — Furniture in the Dining Commons is a mix of existing and new furniture, including this banquette seating.

Large, counter-height table is centered under a blue ceiling baffle, near a row of banquette seating — Counter-height stools for the common table will be delivered in late August. Temporary stools will be installed in the interim.

The Dining Commons features floor-to-ceiling windows. New black-out shades have been installed throughout the Dining Commons and East Commons to allow diners to control for direct sunlight, when needed.

Three windows with a black-out shade pulled partway down the center window. — New blackout shades have been installed throughout the Dining Commons and East Commons.

Finishing touches are also being completed on food-service spaces, including the expanded salad bar and beverage counter.

Salad bar with soup dispensers and dessert shelves — The salad bar set up is nearing completion.

Beverage counter with half a dozen beverage machines installed on top — The expanded beverage counter is set up and ready to go.

New Fixtures in the Dining Commons

As the Dining Commons remodel moves into its final weeks, a number of new fixtures are taking shape.

In addition to the pendant globe lights shown in the July 17 update, two strands of smaller globe lights have been installed over a custom-built common table that can seat a large group of people.

Photo of large, counter-height custom-built table (seating for 26). — A large, custom-built common table will provide counter-height seating for up to 26 people.

With all the new lighting, the view of the Dining Commons from the quad shows a much more brightly lit space.

Photo taken from the Quad looking at the new lighting shining through the windows in the Dining Commons — A more brightly lit Dining Commons is viewable from the quad.

The renovation project also includes an expanded beverage counter. With more room to place beverage dispensers on a single, larger counter, the new design separates the area for self-service beverages from the dish return and waste receptacles, creating better traffic flow in the area.

Photo of beverage counter with subway-tile back splash. Beverage dispensers are not yet installed — The extended beverage counter separates beverage service from the dish return and waste receptacles, which are on the other side of the wall pictured here.

Servery and Salad Bar Updates

The Dining Commons renovation includes updates to the food-service area, the servery, including moving the salad bar out into the commons area to provide more room inside the servery to get to the various food stations.

Drawing of servery layout showing separated section for pork, open space where the salad bar used to be, new salad bar outside the servery (also for soup and desserts), greeter station, and station for silverware, napkins, and condiments. — The updated servery will have a separate space where pork will be served and more space in the interior because the salad bar is moved outside of the servery. Not pictured: the ice cream machine, which will be along the wall with the silverware, etc.

Photo of new salad bar cabinetry. Metal cover, drop-ins, and breath shield still to be insalled. — The new salad bar — for soups, salads, and desserts — is relocated outside the servery to provide more space for diners to access food-service stations.

Inside the servery, new cabinetry and soffits have been installed. On the left-hand side, as you enter, is a designated station for dishes containing pork, keeping them separated from the rest of the food items served.

Photo of servery cabinetry on the rignt-hand side of the servery. — The updated servery includes new cabinetry and soffits.

Left-side servery shows two counters separated by a wall. The first section is for pork items. — The left side of the servery (as you enter) has a section for pork items, separated by a wall from other food stations.

Progress in Murphy Square

Last week, crews working in Murphy Square began surfacing new paths through the park. Light poles have already been relocated along these pathways.

Photo of newly surfaced paths going west and northwest from the east side of Murphy Square — Surfacing on new pathways through Murphy Square is underway.

The new paths align on the east side of the park with the walkway between Kennedy Center and Edor Nelson Field, providing pedestrians coming from Lot L with a route directly across the park and a route to the steps up to the quad.

Aerial map of Murphy Square depicting a curved east-west pathway and a curved pathway from the east side to the northwest corner. — New pathways in Murphy Square are designed to matched the desired walking paths between the east and west sides of the park.

Remaining work in the park includes pouring concrete for tables and benches, grading, and reseeding. That work is scheduled to be complete in mid-August. Crews will then relocate the construction fences to protect the newly seeded spaces while allowing for use of the pathways.

For additional information about the project, see the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board website.

Starting the Finishes: Sanding, Painting, Lighting

The Dining Commons is currently wrapped in plastic to contain dust and “dry fall” as crews sand and paint surfaces. (Dry fall is a specialty type of paint or coating used for spray application. It is designed to dry quickly so that overspray from, for example, painting a ceiling, falls to the floor dry instead of wet.)

Walls (except where tile will be installed), soffits, and the waffle ceiling of the Dining Commons will all get a fresh coat of paint in this process.

Plastic enclosure from floor to ceiling and partially repainted waffle ceiling in the Dining Commons. — A plastic enclosure contains dust and spray during sanding and painting in the Dining Commons, including a fresh coat on the waffle ceiling.

Servery entrance with walls and soffits sanded and prepped for painting. — The walls and soffits of the servery are prepped for painting.

Once the ceiling was fully painted, crews began installing new pendant lights throughout the Dining Commons area.

Pendant globe lights installed in a grid pattern in the Dining Commons — Pendant globe lighting will be installed throughout the Dining Commons.

Two New Wall Structures in the Dining Commons

Two new wall structures are being constructed in the Dining Commons as part of this summer’s remodeling project.

At the top of the central staircase, a “welcome wall” is being installed to create an arrival space for the Dining Commons. The wall will channel traffic to the new check-in kiosk during meal service and provides a space for registration check-in during special events.

Frame for a "welcome wall" installed to create an arrival space at the top of the main staircase entrance to the Dining Commons — A new welcome wall will create an arrival space at the top of the central staircase entrance to the Dining Commons.

In the servery, crews are building a vertical wall on one side of the service area to create a designated serving location for food with non-halal protein (e.g., bacon, pepperoni or sausage pizza, other pork dishes or non-halal meats, etc.). The intent is to separate non-halal food and serving utensils from the rest of the food served in the Dining Commons, including dishes prepared with halal proteins.

Vertical separation wall built into the servery to separate non-hallal proteins from other food served in the Dining Commons. — A new separation wall in the servery creates a designated station for non-halal proteins, keeping them separate from other food served in the Dining Commons.

Flooring Installation Underway

As part of the Dining Commons renovation project, new vinyl flooring is being installed this week throughout the Dining Commons and East Commons area.

Photo facing the west windows (toward Old Main) with new vinyl flooring installed — The new vinyl flooring will be installed throughout the Dining Commons and East Commons.

Rendering of Dining Commons area at the top of the stairs, near the check-in kiosk. Floor shows wide stripes with different grayscale shade. — The new flooring in the Commons features wide stripes of varying shades of gray.