I heard a rumor that Ursa’s won’t be around next year. Regardless of whether or not this is the case—I doubt it is—the frequent rumor that another long-standing institution will no longer exist on campus feels symptomatic of something larger. We’ve had a lot of construction on our campus recently and many of the changes and additions have been incredible.

A section of the Millbrook parking garage in front of the Charles F. Knight Center was removed over winter break in preparation for the demolition of Eliot Hall. Beginning this summer, two new buildings will be constructed in the hall’s current location to host John M. Olin School of Business’s graduate program.

The Umrath Hall construction project that has rerouted many students’ paths to class is on schedule to be finished by May 18—the day of commencement, according to a Washington University official involved in the effort.

The iconic South 40 underpass is structurally unstable, according to a recent report released by the Federal Highway Administration. A structurally deficient bridge is not necessarily at high risk of collapsing, but does require consistent monitoring and inspections at least once a year.

Architectural prints detailing plans for the Olin Business School to expand into the location currently occupied by Eliot Hall have been posted on a bulletin board in McMillan Hall. Washington University has not officially announced the changes, but many students claim to be aware of them.

Despite initial predictions that renovations on the Village dining facility would be partially complete by the end of this summer, administrators now expect that the construction will not begin until next summer. Dining Services is looking to renovate the Village Dining area for several reasons.

Students returning to Washington University this fall will find a number of changes on campus, due to both completed and ongoing construction projects. One new building, Green Hall, is almost complete. Renovation projects have been completed on several buildings, and the University has started to renovate Umrath Hall.

The 2009-2010 school year was filled with new campus developments, student activism and controversy, allowing Wash. U. students to make their mark on the events of the year.

The underpass connecting the Danforth campus and South 40, constructed sometime in the 1960s, is pending a complete renovation. But while discussion on the changes has already begun, actual construction is not expected to happen until the summer of 2012.

Across Skinker Boulevard and Forest Park Parkway, orange cones and construction tape can be found all over the sidewalks, obstructing the way for joggers, bikers and pedestrians alike. Much of the response about the construction has been negative, as the construction not only poses an inconvenience for pedestrians, but it is also dangerous when they have to walk along the car lanes.