The F&S Card Access team keeps campus safe, by changing lock and unlock permissions of individuals on campus. For example, when a new person is hired, they can get in the parts of a building they need to; just as importantly, names and identities can be removed from entrance and exit permissions lists. The i-card holds all the value, as it is the ‘key’ to … Continue reading Shop Spotlight: Card Access Opens Doors
At the 2025 Chief Engineers & Facility Managers Conference, Mike Larson, director of utility operations at Abbott Power Plant, described part of why the Urbana campus is so remarkable in utility and energy production and distribution: chilled water. Cold water, taken down to 42 degrees Fahrenheit at five chillers in Champaign and Urbana, is pumped throughout the campus in 26 miles of underground pipes to … Continue reading 2025 Chief Engineers & Facility Managers Conference: What’s So Cool About Chilled Water
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a world-leader in teaching, collaboration, research and workforce development – and a conference has helped position Illinois as a leader within the state and region for those who perform similar work to F&S. The Illinois Chief Engineers & Facility Mangers Conference was a two-day gathering held in March, meant to spur discussion and find solutions to common issues at … Continue reading 2025 Chief Engineers & Facility Managers Conference: Keynote Recap
Like most other past winters in Champaign-Urbana, a cold front hit campus hard in January 2025, causing temperatures to plummet to around 0 degrees Fahrenheit for days on end. That’s when the F&S Temperature Control shop does some of their most important work, bringing the heat to buildings, or parts of buildings, that may start suffering from cold. Most impressively, a combination of efforts helped … Continue reading Shop Spotlight: Temperature Control Brings the Heat
By Jalynn Bugaj, customer relations & communications intern With the construction of Steven S. Wymer Hall on the former site of parking Lot E12, nearly all parking spaces in that lot have been permanently removed as of May 8, 2023. To offset this change, a new parking structure was built at Lot E15, located at 404 E. Pennsylvania. Before construction, Lot E15 had 294 parking … Continue reading Future Ready Parking with EV Charging at Lot E15
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is always looking for more Illinois-based companies to perform the work of designing, building and maintaining facilities and land on campus. A team of attention-detailed F&S Capital Programs experts help businesses cross different thresholds to allow them to bid for work to be done. They are the ones to shepherd the project along, and help contractors earn the opportunity to … Continue reading F&S Looking for University Construction Vendors: “We Invite You to Join”
The F&S Garage services a wide range of vehicles, including F&S Car Pool vehicles, shop trucks, electric cars, garbage trucks, Zamboni machines, and nearly anything else with an engine. The garage is responsible for keeping the university’s fleet running smoothly, ensuring that all vehicles are maintained, repaired, and ready for use. The Dream Team of Campus Fleet Care The attendants handle essential tasks such as … Continue reading Shop Spotlight: The Garage – Keeping Campus Rolling
By Jalynn BugajCustomer Relations & Communications intern When it comes to keeping doors and locks in check, F&S locksmiths have the key to success, making sure everything from squeaky hinges to secure entry systems are working smoothly! On campus, the locksmith shop makes new keys or copies, replaces locks and door hardware, changes or repairs combination locks, repairs locks, door closers, and door hardware, and … Continue reading Shop Spotlight: The “Key” Players Behind Campus Security
F&S, and the crafts and trades nation-wide, are always looking for the next generation of skilled, passionate professionals who maintain critical utilities systems. Buildings have required heating and electricity for decades, and will continue to for the foreseeable future – it might be the folks from a recent tour to do just that. Parkland College, located in Champaign, is just the place for many students … Continue reading Snowy Daze: Parkland Students Tour F&S Facilities
The President of the University of Illinois System appreciates and values F&S work done at the President’s House, even without considering transformation of beech tree to valued milled artifacts. As one would expect with a home of such symbolic and real world value, the President’s House, completed in 1931, is as marvelous as dozens of other iconic campus buildings. Making it a functional living quarters … Continue reading President’s House and Grounds Upkeep: “Exceptional”
