Construction Outside Library Brings Temporary Disruptions, but Long-Term Benefits
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
By Juliana Scarpelli | February 16, 2026
If you have been wondering what the construction in front of the main library on the University at Albany’s uptown campus is for, you are not alone– many students are finding themselves asking the same question.
“I haven't received any communication from the university about this,” said Gianna Cozzoli, a secondary education graduate student from Brooklyn. “At first I thought the library was fully closed because I couldn’t see anything other than the machines and tarps they had up in front.”
The construction on the podium deck in front of the library began late last semester and is expected to be completed around mid-March, according to Interim Assistant Vice President of Facilities Management Christina Phillips.
This is an annual project funded through the Academic Capital Plan, with an allocation of $500,000 to $1 million each year, and this particular part of the project has five to six workers on site daily, according to Phillips.
The project is standard preventative maintenance to ensure there are no leaks or deterioration, since the podium deck serves as the roof for the basement level.
“Proactively maintaining the podium deck reduces the likelihood of expensive emergency repairs and unplanned disruptions to academic or student support spaces,” Phillips said. “It ensures the campus remains structurally sound and operational for decades to come.”
While the university highlights the importance of the work, many students and even library staff seemed to be unaware that this would be happening or the reasons why.
“Honestly, I don’t know [what’s being done]... I don’t think I’ve seen any official emails go out speaking about exactly what is happening,” said Estefany Ramirez, a student assistant at the library.
Students seem to agree that the biggest inconvenience is the lack of space to walk past the construction, causing their commutes to class to be longer.
“The first week of classes they left enough room to still be able to walk past, however I noticed recently that they closed off that area completely and I now have to cut across the lower section of the podium that has the entrances to the Lecture Center,” said Brooke Lynn Haley, a senior biology major. “Typically, this would be fine, but due to the large accumulation of snow around campus, going down the stairs to the LC is not easily accessible either," Haley added.
Nevaeh Barrington, a junior from Poughkeepsie, has been running into a similar issue.
“As an English major I utilize the library a lot, so the construction has definitely affected my walk to and from the library before and after classes,” Barrington said. “In its earlier stages, you could only enter and exit from one side, which was annoying.”
Cozzoli, Haley and Barrington all expressed that they were unaware of what this project was for, despite passing by it daily.
Though some students expressed frustration with a lack of communication and an inconvenienced commute, university officials emphasize that this project will ultimately benefit the campus community once it is completed.
“Maintenance projects such as this ensure that university spaces remain safe and welcoming for students, faculty, staff, alumni and visitors,” Phillips said.
Students and staff can go to the Facilities Management website to find more information, as well as sign up for alerts about this project and future projects, according to Phillips.