By Wade Faast, Staff Reporter
The Smith Brasher building is in the early phases of a lengthy remodel project expected to complete in January of 2018.
The remodeled Smith Brasher building will have 11 general classrooms, 10 computer lab classrooms and an improved auditorium along with staff and administration offices at a cost of $16 million according to Chris Burroughs, CNM communications manager.
Only the concrete, steel supports and auditorium will remain of the original SB building, Jori Smith, senior project manager with Bradbury Stamm Construction said.
Of all the material being removed, seventy five percent is expected to be recycled or reused.
This includes concrete, asphalt, and 22,000 cubic yards of brick veneer, she said.
The general contractor for the project, Bradbury Stamm Construction, and sub contractors are expected to employ between 300 and 400 workers, Smith said.
According to Smith, they are using building information modeling to accurately model and plan the construction, resulting in a well organized project that is on time.
The remodeled SB building will be heated and cooled by a geothermal system, this requires drilling 160 wells under the parking lot just south of the SB building.
How does a geothermal system work?
The parking lot is closed and will reopen in late summer to early fall when the drilling is completed, according to press releases from the CNM communication office.
In December of 2015 CNM moved the offices for the School of Business & Information Technology to the Montoya Campus.
They are now located in Building K room 102.
As soon as construction is complete in 2018 the offices and staff will return to the SB building.
