Students are unconcerned as construction continues on the new Food Science Building and Berkey University Creamery at the corner of Bigler and Curtin roads.

"There is really no difference," Colleen Cassidy (freshman-marketing) said. "It is loud every day with other construction that is going on."

Chris Veety (freshman-mechanical engineering) said construction projects have been taking place since the start of the semester.

"After a while, you just get used to it," he said.

There are some advantages to living with the added construction noises this year, Office of Physical Plant (OPP) spokesman Paul Ruskin said.

"East Halls residents should keep in mind that their mean travel time to get an ice cream cone will be greatly reduced by this project," he said.

OPP Project Manager Rick Riccardo said much work is being done to ensure the comfort of the East Halls residents.

"This is one of the first projects to require limits of time, as far as construction hours are concerned, so we don't put the students out," he said.

The construction will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and will end at 9 p.m. on weekends. Though construction began last week, Riccardo said the majority of the work would be concentrated during the summer months and in between semesters to limit discomfort for students.

The construction crew began last Monday with plans to finish the loudest work by the end of the week. Riccardo said delays caused by rain and the Thanksgiving holiday have caused the crew to extend the loud work into this week.

Riccardo added that sheet piling, the process of driving steel beams into the ground, has caused most of the noise, and it will be finished by the end of today. He said general construction will continue, but without the excess noise.

The new building will replace the outdated Borland Lab located at Shortlidge and Curtin roads.

According to the department of food science Web site, John Floros, head of the department, said the building has made it possible to recruit some of the best minds in food science.

The 122,000-square-foot Food Science Building will contain research space, classrooms, administrative offices and the new Berkey Creamery.

The move to a bigger location in the Food Science Building will double the size of the Creamery's current location at Borland Lab. The expanded space will include room for indoor seating, as well as outdoor seating in a new Creamery Plaza.

Creamery Manager Tom Palchak said the move is needed to expand currently cramped facilities.

"In the long term, the better facilities will be very good for the department of food science, visitors and students," he said. "Sales will certainly increase along with more opportunities for people to visit the Creamery and dairy plant."

The $45.7 million project is scheduled to be completed by the fall 2006 semester.