New Master Plan Solidifies
A New Residence Hall is First on the Agenda
by Catherine Noyes ‘09··································
New dorms. A new science center, linked to Copley by a glass atrium. A correctly-oriented football field. At the last meeting of the Board of Trustees, these projects and more were discussed in the context of the College’s new Master Plan.
The first priority of the new Master Plan is, not surprisingly, to ease the housing crunch. This will come in the form of a new dorm, primarily for seniors, which the board voted unanimously to go ahead with and discuss alternatives for at the next meeting, to be held in May.
Mr. and Mrs. Brock have generously given $2 million in order to fund this residence hall. Several alternatives will be presented for the layout, but the new hall will most likely have either suites or apartments.
The next step is to meet with a variety of people, including students and representatives fromResidence Life and Housing. These meetings should begin sometime this spring, and construction will begin as soon as possible.
At the next Board of Trustees meeting, discussion will begin on two other projects: a new science center and the remodeling of some of the athletic facilities. Both of these projects are scheduled to begin farther in the future; the date will depend on several factors.
The new science building will most likely be on the west side of Copley, and will be connected to the original structure by a large multi-purpose atrium. This, and the proposed changes to the athletic fields will depend on conversations with potential donors to evaluate the fundraising potential for these projects.
In terms of the athletic fields, over the next several years, a few of the locations should change. The football field, currently oriented east/west will be reoriented to face north/south, and more permanent bleachers will be put in place. This will displace the baseball field, which will likely move across the railroad tracks. Because of all the displacing, this will have to occur in stages.
Though many of the proposed plans are for far in the future, there are projects that will begin relatively quickly, namely a new dorm for senior housing. The other projects, and final priorities beyond the new residence hall, will be discussed at the next meeting of the Board of Trustees in May.
Development of the Master Plan has been a year-long project conducted by the national firm, Ayers/Saint/Gross of Baltimore, who used extensive research and campus interviews to produce their findings and recommendations.
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