Starting today, the East Chiller Plant will be one step closer to starting.

The Chiller Plant, which will supply air conditioning to the east campus, is being built in the northeast corner of the current Campus Life Building parking lot.

Being built today, a chainlink fence will stretch within the lot, creating a barrier between the usable lot and the northeast corner.

Just like any construction site, the fence is used to contain the project.

They’re building in the northeast corner and that’s heavy equipment going in and out of there, said Lt. Curtis Young of the University Police.

“It’ll be all fenced in and gated off,” said Brian Nickels, job superintendent for River City Construction. “There won’t be anyone cutting through here anymore.”

After the fence, the next step is excavation.

Both Nickels and Ron Beldon, a mechanical engineer for NIU architectural and engineering services, agreed that excavation for the foundation will begin within a week.

The amount of time contracted for building the plant is 15 months and the notice to proceed went out last week to all five prime contractors, Beldon said.

Since the building’s function is for air conditioning, it needs to be ready by the 2010 cooling season that usually starts in April, Beldon said.

Spaces in the Campus Life Building parking lot have been limited since summer.

“All those spaces and the signage were taken care of during the summer,” Young said. “Those people that have had reserved spaces have spots in the northwest corner and other spots are available.”