How Klover Is Navigating a Complex Gymnasium Renovation at Lincoln University

A three-story renovation and new addition demonstrate how field experience, trade coordination, and adaptability can help solve the challenges of higher education construction.

Renovating an existing building is rarely as straightforward as following a set of drawings. Existing conditions can vary from what was originally documented, dimensions can change once walls and ceilings are opened, and every adjustment has the potential to affect another trade. At Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, Klover is helping navigate those challenges as part of a three-story gymnasium renovation and addition that brings existing concrete construction together with a new steel structure.

The project will transform Lincoln University’s gymnasium into an updated athletic facility designed to serve students, athletes, visitors, and the broader university community. For Klover, the work is also an example of why communication, field experience, and construction coordination are so important on complex higher education renovation projects.

Connecting Existing Construction With a New Addition

One of the defining challenges at Lincoln University is the combination of renovation and new construction. The existing gymnasium is a concrete structure, while the new addition introduces steel construction that must integrate with the original building.

On paper, the relationship between these systems can be carefully planned. In the field, however, existing buildings often reveal conditions that require teams to adjust. Heights and measurements may vary, structural elements may not be exactly where expected, and new framing must coexist with mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and structural systems.

Klover Project Manager Rob Hassett and Superintendent Matt Homan are helping lead the company’s efforts on the project, working closely with the general contractor and surrounding trades to coordinate these conditions as construction progresses.

That collaboration becomes especially important when an adjustment to one building system can create a ripple effect across several others. An electrical condition, for example, can influence the placement of a partition or opening. Mechanical systems can affect ceiling heights and framing locations. Resolving these conditions early helps reduce their impact on subsequent work and the overall construction schedule.

Solving Tight Overhead Coordination Challenges

The existing portion of the Lincoln University gymnasium presents another significant challenge: limited overhead space.

Low concrete decking means ductwork, piping, conduit, framing, and other building systems must fit within a constrained area. Rather than allowing individual scopes of work to develop independently, the project requires ongoing coordination between the general contractor, Klover, mechanical contractors, electrical contractors, architects, and other project partners.

This is where field experience becomes especially valuable. Drawings establish the intent of the project, but experienced construction professionals help determine how that intent can be successfully executed when real-world conditions differ from expectations.

Klover’s field team continually evaluates the work as it progresses. When team members identify a potential conflict, they communicate it to project leadership so the issue can be addressed before it develops into a larger problem. This combination of planning and field awareness helps the project team respond to changing conditions while maintaining momentum.

Sequencing Specialty Ceilings, Acoustical Panels and Bleachers

Construction sequencing is also playing an important role inside the main gymnasium, which will become the primary basketball court for Lincoln University.

Klover’s work includes significant acoustical and specialty finish installations. Approximately 220 four-foot-by-eight-foot acoustical panels are planned across the gymnasium ceiling, with another 42 panels installed around the surrounding walls. The project also incorporates a specialty serpentine linear wood ceiling that adds another layer of coordination with overhead building systems.

These elements must be carefully sequenced around the structural steel supporting the gymnasium’s bleachers. Once portions of that steel and the bleacher systems are installed, access to overhead areas becomes more limited. Completing and coordinating work in the correct sequence helps prevent crews from having to return to areas that are difficult to reach later.

The finished gymnasium will include three bleacher sections surrounding the basketball court, along with concessions, visitor restrooms, and an area for audiovisual operations and game announcements.

Why Communication Matters in Higher Education Construction

Complex renovation projects demonstrate why successful construction is ultimately a team effort. General contractors, architects, project managers, superintendents, field crews, and specialty trades all depend on one another.

At Lincoln University, communication is helping the team respond to unforeseen conditions while minimizing disruptions to other scopes of work. Klover’s approach combines project management with experienced field leadership, giving team members the ability to identify challenges, communicate them quickly, and work collaboratively toward practical solutions.

That mindset is especially important when working within an existing structure. Instead of simply focusing on its individual scope, Klover considers how its work connects with the systems and trades around it.

Building a Facility for Future Generations

For Klover’s team, the Lincoln University gymnasium renovation is ultimately about more than solving construction challenges.

When the project is complete, students will practice and compete inside the gymnasium. Families and visitors will fill the bleachers. University events and athletic programs will bring people together inside a building that Klover’s craftspeople helped transform.

That lasting impact is meaningful to the people completing the work. It is also a reminder of the role construction plays in higher education. A successful project does more than deliver walls, ceilings, and finishes. It creates environments where future generations can learn, compete, connect, and grow.

At Lincoln University, Klover is helping build that future through craftsmanship, coordination, and a field-first approach to solving complex construction challenges.