A planned expansion
to the existing Miles Annas Student Services Building will help
cope with the expected student increase, said Dr. Clyde D. Robbins,
director of construction and design.
The project, slated to begin in June of this year, will create additional
offices and mailboxes for the projected growth.
Robbins said the June project will hopefully reach completion by
the end of the calendar year, with most of the work being completed
before students return for the fall 2003 semester.
The Miles Annas Student Services Building houses the University
Post Office, Counseling and Psychological Services Center, Wellness
Center and the Mary S. Shook Health Services Center.
Robbins said the additions will make the area located between the
chiller plant and Miles Annas “more pedestrian friendly.”
The area will be made handicap accessible by integrating small ramps
and adding a new brick walkway, Robbins said.
“It’s a very small project but very important,” he
said.
Robbins said the added space and new walkways will create a “plaza”
area between the post office and the new Greenbriar Theatre located
in W. H. Plemmons Student Union.
He said the area will still be open to pedestrians while the project
is in progress.
The new walkway will also eliminate the current pedestrian traffic
problems around the chiller and post office, Robbins said.
“It’s a pretty big mess there right now,” Robbins
said.
W. Kelley Ingram project manager for the Miles Annas expansion said
the plaza will be between the chiller plant and the Miles Annas
building with a student walkway around the side of the chiller plant
and an entrance to the Post Office on the south west corner.
Ingram said the area will be more accessible once completed but
that all plans are still proposed at this point.
Robbins said he does not anticipate any problems with operations
inside the Miles Annas Building, but Post Office Manager Greg Y.
Foster said they may encounter problems in the post office.
“I’m not sure how we will continue stamp sales [during
construction]. We may have to temporarily move that operation,”
Foster said.
Foster said the addition to the post office is still in the design
phase, and he is not sure how certain operations will be handled.
Even with the inconveniences of the planned project, Foster said
the addition is much needed.
“The Post Office will be more user friendly. We’re a little
cramped right now,” he said.
Foster said the expansion with additional mailboxes will be built
toward the chiller plant. The new boxes will be built with walk-around
space behind for post office employees to deliver mail to the boxes.
“It’s a design similar to most of the boxes now and is
more convenient for workers than the keyed door boxes,” Foster
said.
Foster said measures will be taken to ensure the post office can
continue its services to students and Appalachian State University
in order to handle all outgoing and incoming mail.
“It’s going to be wild around here for a while, but it’s
going to be nice when it’s all done,” he said.
Dr. Dan L. Jones director of the counseling and psychological services
center said the expansion will not only add space to the center,
but expand services to students as well.
Jones said the center can only house a limited number of practicum
and internships with the existing office space. “More office
space will mean we will be able to accept more students,” said
Jones.”
Jones said the proposed plan will add at least three new offices
and a group therapy room.
