Electrical system upgrades to be made to Pasteur Hall

Bellarmine has announced plans to replace the wiring in Pasteur Hall amid increasing concerns regarding the risk of serious failure.

The replacement will require Pasteur be shut down for a two-week period, which is scheduled from May 9 to 23.

Assistant Vice President of Facilities Management Jeff Dean said that he expects the work to be completed by May 16, but the building will stay closed until May 23.

University officials have considered replacing the wiring for years. Dean said, “This project has been on our radar for over 10 years, and the Board of Trustees felt that we should not delay any further.

“Should the system fail, it would cause major disruption to classes, labs and offices that would take weeks or months to recover and have a major effect on the university.”

The replacement is estimated to cost Bellarmine nearly $400,000, Dean said.

Vice President for Finance Daniel Frockt said, “The Board of Trustees has approved proceeding with the project with the intent of paying for it from Bellarmine’s operating budget.”

If costs end up exceeding expectations Frockt said it would hopefully be paid for with Bellarmine’s quazi-endowment funds.

Several faculty who teach or have offices in Pasteur said they are largely in favor of the proposed changes. Mathematics professor Susan White said, “I think sometimes you need to spend a little money to prevent something worse from happening, and it sounds like this is something that needs to happen.”

Though the changes will require Pasteur to close, Associate Dean of the College of Art and Sciences Pam Cartor said she is confident the closure will not be overly disruptive. Cartor said, “We’re willing to work with any faculty who needs office space to make sure they have something.”

Because the replacements are taking place in the middle of May, students are not expected to be affected by the shutdown.