July 29, 2009 - Geneva College
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July 29, 2009

Picture of July 29, 2009

The Beyond the Bend project nears completion at Geneva College with work wrapping up on the pedestrian walkway.

Less than four years after Geneva College revealed its Beyond the Bend campus improvement project, the construction is nearing completion. As early as August 4, the expanded Alumni Hall parking lot and the southern end of the campus pedestrian mall will be open and available for use.

“While we've been consumed with the Beyond the Bend project for the past couple of years, it′s the result of work and prayers dating back at least six decades,” says Geneva College President Kenneth A. Smith. “We've seen God′s hand throughout the construction and rejoice that we're nearing the end of the project.”

In the past three months, much of the construction has centered on the Alumni Hall parking lot, which will now include a section of the old Route 18 near Alexander Hall. Construction crews are now paving the lot, and will soon be pouring new stairs and sidewalks. The mall is highlighted with two circular conversation areas which include seating, landscaping and brick paving.

The final portion of the pedestrian mall will be finished as early as the week of August 10. This campus walkway, formerly College Avenue, will extend from the front of McCartney Library to the new roundabout. The completion of the pedestrian mall will mark the end of hard-surface construction, leaving only finishing touches such as handrails and landscaping. Landscaping crews have planted a total of 306 new shrubs, 362 perennials and ornamental grasses, and 76 new trees in the newly constructed areas. The campus has improved handicapped accessibility to parking and Alexander Hall. Other improvements are not as visible; electrical utilities were removed from poles and placed underground.

The major Beyond the Bend renovations have been based on the state′s realignment of Route 18. The highway once snaked through the center of campus but now traces the perimeter of the college. Campus construction has included improvements to the Reeves Field complex, including new bleachers, scoreboard, playing surface and press box. The campus has changed dramatically with the addition of a new landmark archway, entrance boulevard and roundabout which now provide a main entrance to the college.

With the completion of this month′s construction, including the resurfaced Alumni Hall parking lot and the pedestrian mall, the bulk of the project will be complete. Geneva alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, friends and neighbors will celebrate the new campus in a dedication ceremony during Homecoming on October 10.

Geneva College is committed to supporting the local economy. All contractors involved in the project have been from the tri-state area. This includes:

  • Jendoco Construction Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.- construction management
  • Turney Electric, Inc., Beaver Falls, Pa.- electrical construction
  • Albert Tarr Excavating, Inc., Gibsonia, Pa. - excavation
  • Harris Masonry, Greentree, Pa. - stone and brick construction
  • Ivan Law, Inc., Youngstown, Ohio - concrete construction
  • Gray Welding, Pittsburgh, Pa. - steel truss arch  
  • JK Foster, Monongahela, Pa. - landscaping
  • IA Construction, Zelienople, Pa. - paving

Geneva College is a comprehensive Christian college of the arts, sciences and professional studies. Founded in the tradition of the Reformed Christian faith, Geneva prepares students to serve Christ in all areas of society: work, family and the church. Geneva College′s philosophy of education is based on the Foundational Concepts of Christian Higher Education. Geneva is a founding member of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU).

 

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Jul 29, 2009