There have been subtle structural changes to the UMBC pond, including removing the water altogether. Rusty Postlewate of UMBC’s Facilities Management has been sending out updates about the pond throughout the 2014 – 2015 academic year, and the timeline of the pond’s reconstruction goes as follows:
November 24, 2014: Postlewate announces plans to add a fence surrounding the pond, which will prevent pedestrian and vehicular access to the Residential Life area.
March 13, 2015: Crews begin to build a new walkway between the Meyerhoff Chemistry Building and the Library.
May 8, 2015: The promenade in front of the Admissions and Orientation and Financial Aid Scholarships Offices will be closed so construction can begin at the North side of the pond.
Postlewate explained how the pond has been restructured over the summer, “Most of the work that has been done since last semester has been structural in nature. The concrete retaining walls on the library side and the Schwartz Hall side of the pond’s edge had to be completely removed and replaced due to structural deficiencies, and the significant water outfall structure – next to the chemistry building – has to be completely reconstructed to meet dam safety criteria.”
Postlewate also shared the whereabouts of the pond’s water: “There has not been water in the pond … the water is intercepted upstream of the pond, pumped past the pond and discharged in the storm water line downstream of the pond, so the construction work can continue.”
The water is projected to return to the pond by mid-September.
According to Postlewate, the pond will be able to support marine life after the project. “The pond will be stocked with fish,” he said. He also intends on making the pond a more “pleasant place to gather together.”
“100 or so trees and over 1,000 plantings will be installed as part of the project,” Postlewate said. These modifications should be completed by November, according to Postlewate.
The plan to revamp the pond was first announced in June of 2013 and was estimated to be completed the following October.
Having been closed since the Fall of 2013, it has been under construction for approximately two years.
