Initial stages of the Lucinda Avenue renovation project are underway in the King Memorial Commons.

The actual construction on Lucinda Avenue is set to begin in May 1993, but there must be preliminary construction and relocation of various utility lines before it begins.

NIU, the city of DeKalb and public utilities such as GTE and Northern Illinois Gas all have lines running through the area.

Walter Czerniak, NIU director of computer and

telecommunications operations, said the construction in the MLK Commons is the first stage of the Lucinda Avenue renovation project.

The total project budget is $2.96 million. The project cost is being divided between NIU, the Federal Highway Administration and the city of DeKalb.

“We are installing a new manhole and duct system through the center of campus which will provide access to NIU telecommunication lines,” Czerniak said.

Patricia Perkins, assistant to the vice president of Finance and Planning, said the lines being moved are university telephone and computer lines.

“Those lines currently run along Lucinda Avenue,” Perkins said. “They are installing new lines which will replace the old ones, so the old ones will not actually be moved.”

Czerniak said the current construction will move from the Public Safety and Telecommunications building to just west of Annie Glidden Road.

“As far as the electrical and gas lines are concerned, Commonwealth Edison is handling the moving of their own lines,” he said.

The excavation phase, which is in progress in the MLK commons, is set to be finished before the ground freezes.

“If it is not finished in time, it will be done the first thing in the spring,” Perkins said. “As long as the excavation is done by winter, they can pull the actual lines through later.”