Varied Summer Construction Projects Include Renovating Rooms for More First-Year Students

James Lee, a Buildings and Grounds custodian, applies compound to a wall in North Mandelle Hall. It is one of several residence halls being overhauled this summer to spruce up additional rooms for the larger-than-usual first-year class.

This summer, the living isn't easy for the folks at Buildings and Grounds. As usual, they are busy with small and large maintenance projects such as cleaning student rooms and tree pruning, grass mowing, and athletic field maintenance. Planning continues on the large building projects for the science center, Pratt Hall, and the Art Building. And this year, they have the added challenge of readying rooms for an extra one hundred first-year students, as well as completing other projects around campus.

* The success of this year's admission effort means that a very large entering class is expected to arrive in September. To make sure every "head has a bed," as Director of Physical Facilities Dave Collette put it, B & G crews are fixing up many currently unused rooms in Porter, Brigham, Mead, Rockefeller, and the Mandelles. "The College is working vigorously over the summer to renovate additional residence spaces so that all our students can be comfortably housed when they arrive in the fall," noted Dean of Enrollment Jane Brown. "We are excited about the incoming class and are confident we will be well prepared for their arrival."

* Three steam lines, which have been leaking, are being replaced so the flow of heat and hot water will not be interrupted. According to Collette, "Three lines are being done: one in front of Skinner going into Rockefeller, one going from Pearsons to Pearsons Annex, and one from the circle outside of the Blanchard Post Office entrance into Wilder."

* Ham and MacGregor Halls will be overhauled this summer, in a $1.5 million project. Access to Ham for those with physical disabilities will be added. Both halls will have renovations made to their public areas. All their student rooms will be painted, have the heating upgraded, and have new lighting installed. The buildings will also get a new fire alarm system, new corridor lighting, and repairs to the shower areas; an emergency generator will be installed; and other basic maintenance will be done.

* Two labs, one in Shattuck and one in Carr, will be revised to accommodate the needs of new faculty members.

* The One-Card project will continue. New card readers will be installed at some sixty-five entrances across campus, most of them in residence halls.

* B & G will also clean up after each of the many conferences held on campus during the summer, and every student room on campus will be cleaned to be ready for students' return.

* The grounds department has a full slate of new plantings in addition to other outside maintenance jobs.

Photograph by Fred LeBlanc