SLU to Construct New Electrical Substation for North Campus
Saint Louis University is moving forward with plans to replace a 55-year-old, University-owned electrical substation that supplies power to about one-third of SLU’s north campus.
The project is a major part of efforts to reduce costs, save energy and position SLU for future growth through strategic investments in the University’s utility infrastructure.
The new substation will provide power to nearly all buildings on the north campus, which will create efficiencies and reduce SLU’s annual operating costs after a payback period of about 10 years.
New Location
As the project was being planned, it was determined that the physical footprint of the new substation will need to double in size to meet new guidelines from Ameren.
The existing substation is situated between Busch Student Center and McDonnell Douglas Hall. After considering a variety of options, SLU selected the St. Peter’s parking lot, south of Marchetti Tower East, as the new location.
Constructing a new substation at the existing location would be costlier and more disruptive to faculty, staff and students, said Michael Lucido, SLU’s vice president for facilities services. He said that substation can be remain in full operation while the new one is being built.
Once the new substation is online, SLU will turn the existing site into additional greenspace next to Tegeler Field, which is used for a variety of University activities. Locating the substation on the perimeter of the campus, rather than in the center, also fits better with SLU’s master plan, Lucido noted.
Impact on Parking
To offset the approximately 30 parking spaces that will be eliminated on the St. Peters lot, the University plans to reconfigure and add an equivalent number of student parking spaces at the Grand Forest Apartments.
To accommodate the new parking area at Grand Forest, SLU will remove a pool and pool house on the apartments’ grounds. SLU’s Division of Facilities Services has been working with SGA and the Division of Student Development on the changes.
Demolition of the pool and pool house will begin Dec. 19 after students have left for their winter break. The new temporary gravel parking area at Grand Forest is expected to be completed before students return in mid-January.
Work to prepare the Marchetti parking area as the new home of the substation will begin during the break as well. That construction is expected to take 11 months. While facilities services will try to limit any disruption for parkers, the work will impact entry and exit to the lots at varying times.
Projects for Spring and Beyond
In the spring, SLU will begin undertaking infrastructure upgrades to underground electrical lines and gas piping. More details on those projects will be available in January. The University also intends to upgrade the utility infrastructure on the south campus. Planning is beginning for this work.
These utility upgrades stem from SLU’s campus master planning process and the diagnostic phase of the Operational Excellence Program, which identified potential cost savings that could be realized from strategic investments in the utilities the University relies on to power its operations.