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Construction Update
Medford/Somerville PACKARD HALL. The interior and exterior of this building, constructed in 1856 as a dormitory for 26 students, are being completely restored, and an elevator is to be added. “The slate roof is about fifty percent in place now, and work has begun on a very small addition that will accommodate the elevator and a set of stairs,” says John Roberto, vice president for facilities. Completion: mid-March 2009.TISCH LIBRARY ROOF GARDEN. This project will provide a new roof, an accessible entrance plaza, and an artistic garden/meditation space with landscaping, mosaic tile, and seating areas of granite and masonry that are currently being installed. Completion: December.
51 WINTHROP. The interior renovation of the former Sacred Heart Church, which Tufts purchased after the Archdiocese of Boston closed it, will create a large, multipurpose function space, including seating for between 175 and 200 for dining and other purposes. Completion: mid-January.
Boston DENTAL SCHOOL VERTICAL EXPANSION. This project, which will add five floors and 95,000 square feet to the 10-story building at One Kneeland Street, is well under way. “Work is now beginning on the exterior skin of the building—the curtain wall—which should be complete in December or January, at which time the building would be enclosed, and we would begin the interior fit-out,” Roberto says. The expansion will create more teaching and research space, a continuing-education suite, and offices and meeting rooms. Completion: November 2009.SACKLER CAMPUS CENTER. The Sackler Center’s basement and six of its eight floors are being completely renovated. The project is currently in the second of three phases, which is scheduled to be finished in December. A new café, Food 4 Thought, which occupies most of the fourth floor of the Hirsh Health Sciences Library, opened in October. Renovations are under way for the eighth-floor administrative offices, classrooms, and study rooms. Phase I saw the construction of space for the medical school’s new “learning communities,” each consisting of seven students and their adviser—a configuration that will ensure personal attention for students and build a sense of community. Painted in vibrant colors and equipped with comfy chairs, TVs, and kitchenettes, the communities provide space for classes, group study, mentoring, and socializing. The final phase of the project will be a major renovation of the first floor and the basement. Completion: August 2009.
Grafton AGNES VARIS CAMPUS CENTER AUDITORIUM. The addition to the new campus center at the Cummings School will include a 173-seat auditorium with state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting, and audio-visual equipment, as well as a continuing-education facility. The auditorium will be a venue for campuswide, national, and international meetings, as well as community hearings.NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL BIOSAFETY LABORATORY. The exterior and site work for this facility, which will house research on emerging infectious diseases and food- and waterborne illnesses, are substantially complete, and the mechanical systems have been installed. The construction is being funded with some $20 million from the National Institutes of Health. Completion: December, followed by a commissioning period in which systems will be tested.