November 13, 2000

Wayne Landry has been involved in warehousing for 30 years, and his impression of UConn's central storage facility wasn't kind when he arrived here in 1998.

"I'm not sure this building was state-of-the-art when it was built 50 years ago," Landry, supply manager at Central Stores, said of the old warehouse Tuesday. "Low ceilings, three stories, tractor-trailers driving down the same street students were walking on. It's not very safe."

All that will change the week of Dec. 4, however, when Landry and his crews move more than 5,000 items from the old warehouse, located between Student Health Services and the new chemistry building, to a new, 85,000-square-foot warehouse behind the Public Safety Complex. The new building has all the bells and whistles he's been waiting for.

Landry isn't alone. Two weeks ago, the staff that comprises Accounts Payable moved out of Budds Building and into the spacious new building. They were joined by members of UConn's Purchasing Department and staff in Parking and Transportation Services. Soon, the Print Shop and Mailroom will move in. Warehouse staff - and nearly $1 million worth of supplies - come last, when the pace of shipments slows in early December and staff have more time to make the move across campus.

"This continues our efforts to move non-academic departments to the periphery of campus," says Larry Schilling, University architect. "It also consolidates activities that have similar missions."

Approximately half of the $11-million structure will be used as a warehouse: 45,000 square feet of the building will house offices, the Mailroom and Printing Services. It was funded through UConn 2000 and pre-UConn 2000 bonds and built by Konover Construction Co.

The project, like most UConn 2000 projects, was completed on budget and, from groundbreaking to completion, on time.

Construction was originally delayed, and the location of the building changed, when incinerator wastes were discovered at the building's planned site on what is currently "F" lot.

Once the various departments move into the building, several other moves are planned. Next year, the studio and offices for WHUS radio will move into the building that had been home to Parking and Transportation Services, making way for the renovation of the north wing of the Student Union.

As renovations to Wilbur Cross Building progress, the Department of Career Services will relocate temporarily to the offices just vacated by purchasing staff. And uses for the string of offices in Budds Building that formerly held Accounts Payable are currently being discussed, with several departments being considered for that space.

Schilling said the building on UConn's Depot Campus that now is home to Printing Services and the Mailroom also will be reused, possibly as a showroom for surplus goods and a storage facility.

"It's a big step forward - for UConn and Central Stores," says Landry. "We're stepping into the 21st century."

And into yet another new building, courtesy of UConn 2000.

Richard Veilleux