Bare earth, deep holes and dump trucks are turning up across campus this fall as construction progresses on seven major projects. The more than $117 million in projects--which includes new lab and office space, parking and student housing--are just the beginning. Two more projects, including the $53.5 million Center for the Arts, go out to bid next spring. Jerry O'Hearn, assistant director of design and engineering for the campus Office of Architects and Engineers, said well over $200 million of projects are in planning, design or construction--the most in at least 12 years. Current construction includes: *Work is progressing on the plant and environmental sciences building north of Veihmeyer Hall. The basement has been dug and foundation work has started on the three-story, 125,000-square-foot building. It replaces aging Hoagland and Hunt halls and provides lab and office space for the agronomy and range science and the land, air and water resources departments. The $39.6 million building is being funded by a combination of state and campus funds. Project manager Gary Dahl said the building will be the first in the country to use a seismic-safety bracing system developed in Japan. "It's kind of like a shock absorber," Dahl said. "It reduces the amount of damage to contents of the building during an earthquake." * A three-level parking structure and adjacent surface lots are taking shape. Thousands of cubic yards of dirt have been excavated from the site of a new three-level parking structure and an adjacent surface lot southwest of the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center. Construction on the structure and adjacent surface parking lots will begin soon. The 715-space garage and 885-space lot are scheduled to be completed next fall. The $15.6 million project is funded by parking fees. * The Walker Hall replacement project, west of Crocker Nuclear Lab, is 60 percent complete. The 62,000-square-foot, $20.8 million building, financed by a combination of state and campus funds, is scheduled to be completed next summer. * The Equine Analytical Chemistry Lab north of Thurman Lab is nearly finished. Occupants will move into the $11.4 million, 30,000-square foot building next month. State funds paid for its construction. * The $16.98 million campus wastewater treatment plant, also funded by the state, is 85 percent built and scheduled to be completed in November. * Seismic renovations on the twin Webster and Emerson residence halls are half completed. With work completed on Webster Hall, repairs on Emerson Hall will continue through the summer of 2000. The campus is paying the $12.7 million in costs. * La Rue Student Housing is under construction west of the Rec Hall. The privately built and operated complex is scheduled to be completed next summer. In addition to the $53.5 million Center for the Arts, the campus will also go out to bid next spring on phase 4 of an $11.3 million chilled-water facility.