Construction of the long-awaited Mayer Hall Addition is finally underway: the site has been fenced off, the contractor is on-site, and demolition started on January 30, 2006. The addition will house 45,000 assignable square feet of office, research laboratory, and teaching laboratory space, distributed over 5 floors. Construction of the addition is expected to last approximately 22 months (i.e., until October 2008); a further 14 months will be spent on the subsequent renovation of portions of the existing building.