Matt Weir/The Collegian
Repair work is wrapping up on the northside of the University Student Union after more than two months of having a section of the courtyard closed.
The area around a planter was closed since the beginning of the semester for work crews to fix a water leak over by the bowling alley.
Nursing graduate student Hayley Mehlhoff said she studies in the courtyard every day that she has class on campus. She described the closure as “not attractive, but not upsetting either.”
Mehlhoff also admitted not knowing exactly what is being repaired.
Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Operations Debbie Adishian-Astone said the source of the problem is the waterproofing membrane installed along with the building decades ago. It joins with the membrane installed when the USU Pavilion and USU Courtyard were constructed in the 1990s.
Leaks were first noticed two years ago in the area after heavy rainfall. Since then, the leak continued to pour as rain fell.
Adishian-Astone said smaller and quicker repairs were done a few years ago to stop some water seepage, but extensive work was needed this time in order to permanently repair the membrane.
Since the USU extends as far north as the courtyard, they have been in charge of contracting and paying for the repairs. The latest repairs hit an approximate cost of $58,000.
According to Adishian-Astone, this bill includes the earlier exploratory work.
Water leakage in the ceiling areas above the USU Recreation Center forced the USU to consider major repairs. The planter area had to be excavated to track the source of the leak.
Adishian-Astone said that finding the source of the leak took approximately 30 days. Once it was located, work crews began the repairs, forcing the closure of a section of the courtyard.
However, some students are not bothered by the closure because the location is not a heavy-traffic area.
As a nursing student, the majority of Mehlhoff’s classes are located in McLane Hall, influencing her decision to study in the courtyard. The USU Courtyard is adjacent to McLane Hall.
Despite the location, Mehlohff said the repairs aren’t inconvenient.
“I like to study outdoors when the weather is nice,” Mehlhoff said. “I only had to make a small change in my route from my car to my class.”
Business major Esteban Gutierrez said he studies often on campus and usually does so in and around the USU Courtyard. He said he only recently noticed the work being done because bad weather had kept him studying indoors since the beginning of the semester.
“I prefer studying outside because of the sun and fresh air,” Gutierrez said.
Adishian-Astone said the USU Courtyard has been closed since work began in early January, although the actual solution to fix the leak began Jan. 29.
