Dear Members of the ԱƵ Community,
It is pretty incredible to see what a motivated group of humans can do over the course of just 32 days since my last message to campus. As you’ll see in the photos below, construction crews have been very busy on the campus and downtown.
While construction crews are now carefully fitting 500 tons of masonry bluestone to cover the shockingly blue exterior of what we have all been calling the Benton Center, the building’s name is also undergoing a facelift. The anchor of ԱƵ’s expanded Middle Campus will now be known as Bernstein Hall, and the story of that new name, and the history behind it, is now available online.
Associate Vice President for Facilities and Capital Projects Steve Hughes reports that the soon-to-be covered blue coating is an air vapor barrier, and is just one of the energy savings measures incorporated in the building’s environmentally sustainable design. A formal dedication of Bernstein Hall is planned for September 20–21, 2024 (Homecoming Weekend).
Faculty and staff from the Departments of Biology and Psychological and Brain Sciences are now moving into the building as it undergoes final touches. The official opening/dedication of this new home for the Robert H.N. Ho Mind, Brain, and Behavior Initiative is slated for Reunion Weekend.
Wow.
Clearing work is complete at the site of what will become Peter’s Glen, and Project Manager Katy Jacobs reports that crews are now moving into a long phase of earthwork and utility infrastructure preparation.
“Given its central location, we understand that this project has affected access around the project site and adjacent buildings, and will continue to do so through next summer (2025). We ask that people continue to exercise caution in walking or driving near the project site, and to plan ahead for the inevitable delays and inconveniences that come with major construction.”
It is going to be so fascinating to watch this site emerge from its very rough larval state into what promises to be a gorgeous pathway with spaces for gathering and relaxing among newly planted local trees, flowers, and shrubbery. You can see the renderings of what it will look like in our original project announcement.
It only took about a week for demolition crews to knock down and flawlessly clear away the buildings of 18–22 Utica Street. In total, about 728 tons of debris were hauled away from the site. Project Manager Ray Cudney says the demolition work went as planned and crews are now bringing the site to grade in preparation for foundation work in the coming weeks. Cudney says the construction timeframe remains the same, with an eye toward completion at the end of 2025. visited Hamilton last month to report on the project, which Mayor Ruthann Loveless called, “a great boon to the village.”
Once again, thank you to everyone on campus for your patience during these construction efforts. If you have any questions about these or any other ongoing projects, feel free to send me a note and I will work to provide updates in future messages.
With regards,
Daniel DeVries
Vice President for University Communications