Construction on the Place of Remembrance resumed following the end of Remembrance Week and will not be completed until the end of November.

The Office of Campus Planning, Design and Construction knew a few weeks ahead of time that construction would not be officially finished in time for Remembrance Week and made the decision a few weeks prior to remove evidence of construction for that week to avoid disruption of any activities, John Osinski, senior project manager at the Office of Campus Planning, Design and Construction, said in an email.

“Construction re-mobilized to complete the project, specifically the curving carved limestone railings and balusters on the outwardly sides of the stairs ascending to the plaza and Memorial Wall,” Osinski said.

The Place of Remembrance is Syracuse University’s memorial to the 35 students and two Clay, N.Y., residents killed in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, on Dec. 21, 1988.

The delivery of stone materials for the Memorial Wall affected the project’s completion date, he said. Typically, the type of stone used on the Place of Remembrance takes 16 weeks to arrive at the project site after being ordered, Osinski said.

“When the stone fabrications include more difficult stone fabrications such as curves, it can take longer as was the case with the outward rails for the stairs at the Place of Remembrance,” he said.

The memorial was dedicated in 1990. Construction involves replacing old fixtures with new stone and restoring the pillars to their original appearance, Osinski said.

The light fixtures near the columns are in the process of being restored to its original appearance, Osinski said. The tablets were replaced with India black granite with the names of the 35 SU students carved into it.

This construction, which is taking place in front of the Hall of Languages, has caused an inconvenience for students walking to and from classes. This area on campus has blocked several walkways and students have had to find alternate routes to class.

“I only have one class in the Hall of Languages so the construction does not have that big of an impact on my getting to class,” said Miani Giron, a freshman undeclared major in the College of Arts and Sciences. “I could see that it would be a problem getting to class for students who have several classes in that building.”

But Giron said she is excited for the construction to be complete and thinks it will help make the memorial a focal point on campus.

“I think that it will grab the attention of students,” she said. “People will be more likely to stop and take pictures once it is complete.”

Published on November 4, 2012 at 11:08 pm

Contact Taylor: tblupo@syr.edu