Dear Sandels Building Colleagues and Students,
Since January, teams from FSU Facilities and FSU Environmental Health and Safety, as well as independent environmental experts and outside contractors, have been diligently working to address indoor air quality concerns in the Sandels Building.
To date, we’ve made a significant amount of progress. Most notably, the installation of the radon exhaust fans is now complete, and results indicate that the mitigation system is operating as intended and radon gas levels are measuring well below EPA-recommended levels. Another noteworthy accomplishment is that the HVAC system has been successfully cleaned and remediated, and all clearances have been reached.
In addition, mold mitigation on the north and northeast walls of the building has been successfully completed; the carpeting has been replaced or is scheduled to be replaced in many areas throughout the building; and a new Air Handling Unit #6 (AHU) and new fume hoods have been purchased and will be installed upon delivery.
Last week, an analysis of the Dean’s suite exterior wall indicated moisture and mold were present. As such, we immediately began remediation on Aug. 11. A likely source of the leak in this area is an abandoned exhaust fan. Further, the industrial hygienist is exploring a solution to prevent any future moisture intrusion, including a new wall system design so that the drywall will not touch the exterior wall. The new wall cavity will be constructed in a way to promote air flow and prevent bridging of moisture in the future.
While there has been a tremendous amount of progress on this project over the past several months, not all work is finalized. We continue to receive requests from building occupants regarding different projects, and supply chain issues have caused unforeseen delays.
Work is still pending on a number of projects, including:
- Heavy-duty cleaning of the building, which is scheduled for the week of Aug. 15.
- Carpet replacement on the third floor and remainder of second floor. Carpet installation in Room 100C has been expedited at the department’s request and is expected to be complete by Aug. 17.
- Installation of new fourth floor fume hoods. Delivery is expected in mid-October.
- Installation of new air handling unit (AHU) for the fourth floor. No delivery date has been issued yet.
- Architectural finishes and repairs needed following the fume hood and AHU installations.
- Installation of new free-standing bookcases.
There also are several projects in the planning stage, including:
- Carpet replacement on the first floor.
- An additional survey of the building for signs of moisture and/or mold is scheduled for the coming week.
- Upgrades to the basement, including new flooring, ceiling and paint, a new AHU and HVAC improvements, and removal of environmental chamber.
- Exterior envelope repairs of cracks and exterior waterproofing.
- New roof and windows.
- Final painting of all interior spaces.
- Bathroom improvements.
- New ceiling tiles throughout the building.
- Installation of an emergency generator to serve the –80 freezers.
Because of active construction, individuals have the option to choose whether to return to their offices, labs and classrooms before work is finished. Individuals may decide what’s best for their research, teaching or staff responsibilities.
The Registrar proactively worked with the Dean’s office to assign alternate meeting locations in other buildings if an individual instructor chooses not to hold their classes in Sandels. Please work with your department chair to identify the alternate space that has been preassigned for your consideration.
As President McCullough and I have repeatedly stated, the health and safety of the campus community continues to be the university’s top priority. We hope that by allowing individuals the ability to determine when to repopulate the building, they have the opportunity to make the best choice for themselves and their students.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this time. I will continue to provide updates on the building’s progress.
If you have questions that have not been addressed in an update, on the Sandels Response website or in the FAQs, please email sandelsresponse@fsu.edu, and we will answer your individual questions to the best of our ability.
Best regards,
Jim Clark
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Note: Messages submitted to sandelsresponse@fsu.edu may be subject to disclosure pursuant to Florida’s public records laws. To ensure the privacy and protection of your personal health information (PHI), please do not submit any PHI or private health details via this website or email.