The Central Utility Plant Replacement (CUPR) construction project is scheduled to finish during the spring of 2024, according to Tinnah Medina, associate vice president of Facilities Management at Fresno State.

CUPR will provide heating and cooling to buildings across campus. One of the goals of CUPR is to make Fresno State more energy efficient. Fresno State is currently the largest PG&E customer in the Central Valley.

According to Medina, the campus will open up “when work is substantially completed.”

Construction spans on the west side of campus from the library to the McKee Fisk Building and on the east side from the Joyal Administration Building to the Satellite Student Union.

Since the start of the construction in the fall of 2022, issues have arisen afflicting various structures around campus. In September, when temperatures were reaching over 110 degrees, several cooling systems on campus weren’t running as they should.

In some classes, temperatures reached up to 90 degrees. Some professors had to cancel classes due to the unsafe temperatures .

“I started to just feel pretty overwhelmed with what was going on and having shortness of breath and started sweating a lot more. So I think it was at about 35 minutes I said, ‘OK, I don’t think it’s safe for us to be here anymore,’ and sent the class home,” criminology professor Chadley Jones told The Collegian.

In October, when temperatures started to cool down, the boilers that are used to provide heat to classrooms and buildings were turned off until Nov. 7. 

Some of the other issues include supply and weather issues. The developer, Bulldog Infrastructure Group, has been doing its best to ensure the delays won’t slow down the production, Medina said. 

“There have been some delays; however, the developer is using their best efforts to mitigate the impacts due to weather and supply chain issues that are currently impacting the overall project schedule and completion date,” Medina said. 

In an email sent out Feb. 27, the university announced areas of campus that will be impacted from Feb. 28 through April. 

The Student Cupboard will not be accessible for people using Lot P21 on Jackson Avenue. Only one lane will be accessible on Jackson Ave. Part of P21 will also be closed. 

Additional parking for staff and faculty will be available in P20, north of Barstow Avenue. ADA parking will be available in P23 and P24, located on both sides of Campus Drive.