Felix Balderas 
EDINBURG- A drainage construction project began in 2020 on the UTRGV Edinburg campus, although the project was projected to be completed by the beginning of the 2023 Spring semester, it is still under construction. The construction site blocks off four acres of land, making it difficult to traverse the campus.
According to University Architect Juan Ortiz, the goal of the project was to beautify campus and improve the student experience.
“We did have some delays at the end of the year in November and December with the rains that hit our project. It’s unfortunate for any project of this nature because it puts a stop to the project. If we can’t dry out, we can’t move the dirt that we need to because it just becomes a muddy mess that’s really hard to work with,” said Ortiz.
Ortiz added the concept for the construction plan changed to incorporate the idea of elevating the center of the site instead of a hole. A storage tank would be put underneath to capture some of the water and push the rest of it to the side to guide the flow into the primary drainage system on the West of campus.
A 23,000 cubic gallon water storage tank has already been added to the site with plans for a completely new landscape on the way. The new layout for the area includes native landscapes like trees and plants that would help introduce new wildlife into the area and boost the local ecosystem as well as provide students with plenty of shade.
Landscape Architect Alex Morvant has been working with the university since 2020 and believes that once the project is complete, the student experience will be exemplified. He urges students feeling frustrated to consider that the goal of the project is to provide a comfortable space for people to use on campus and enjoy the outdoor area they are creating.
“I totally understand… it’s going to be an eyesore for a bit of a time, but it’s a safety thing, we can’t have people walking in and out of the site while people are pouring concrete and moving rebars… it’s a short period of time to have to wait for something that’s going to be open for 50 to 100 years and it’s going to be a great benefit for the campus in the future,” said Morvant.
Ortiz gave a last message to students who have been affected by the lengthy construction project.
“Be patient, we’re almost there. We are at the tail-end of the project. The hope is that once we do get to open it and turn it over to the student population that it gets full use like we intend to, and does what it’s supposed to do,” said Ortiz.
According to Ortiz, the project is about 90% complete with only about a month and a half of delays due to weather. The area is expected to be open after Spring Break of the 2023 Spring semester.
