Construction to remain a fixture on campus for next seven years

Dodging construction sites on campus has become as much a part of campus life as going to the 'Street' on Saturdays and pulling all nighters before final exams. And these sites are not going away any time soon — the University has yet to break ground for the sixth residential college to house 500 additional freshmen.

Associate director for construction management Anne St Mauro estimated the University will spend $500 million over the next seven years for construction projects currently in various stages of planning.

"They have the money to make the investments now," she said.

The sixth residential college will be built on and west of the tennis courts behind Dillon gym. The courts will be replaced by new courts built at as yet undetermined location on campus.

The University is in the process of hiring an architect for the construction project and expects to break ground in May 2003, with completion by August 2005.

The new genomics building, located near Scully, is scheduled for completion October 2002, St Mauro added.

Renovations on the chapel are scheduled to be completed in January 2002, St Mauro said. The construction involved cleaning the stained glass windows, repairing the stone walls and installing handicap ramps. The first phase of construction, begun last winter, was on the south side of the chapel and the second and final phase started last spring on the north and west sides.

East Pyne was closed for renovations after the spring semester and will re-open in August 2003 with new offices, classrooms and library space. There will be a new auditorium under the courtyard, St Mauro said.

Dod Hall is being renovated with new heating, plumbing, ventilation, electricity and an elevator system and is expected to re-open in August 2002. The mailroom in the basement was moved to New South and the space will be converted into a lounge area. Witherspoon Hall is scheduled for renovations beginning next summer, St Mauro said.

At Green Hall, new lab space is being installed in the east side and the ground level is being renovated to install new office and classroom space. Renovation of the second and third floors have already been completed, St. Mauro said.

Robertson Hall, home of the Wilson School, is also undergoing major construction. Wilson School Associate Dean for Administration Karen Jezierny said in an e-mail, "Over the summer, the entire lower level of the building was gutted and construction was started on two new additions, one on the south side [facing Prospect Avenue] and the other on the west [facing Washington Road]."

The renovation of Robertson's lower level will be completed in December or January and will be ready for use in the spring semester while construction of the new classrooms will not be completed until the fall term of next year.

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When renovations are completed, there will be new classrooms and study space, several additional administrative offices and a new art gallery, Jezierny said.

"[Wilson School] Dean Rothschild has been committed to providing the facilities necessary to undertake modern social science research and to teach social science to undergraduate and graduate students." Jezierny said. "To accomplish these goals, the School needed more classrooms and more modern facilities."