The Rensselaer Trustees held their annual meeting in Florida this past weekend. Among the outcomes of that meeting was the funding of over 50 campus development projects ranging from replacing some window sills in Cary and Bray Halls to the Biotech Center. However, even though these projects will improve campus facilities, they do have their ramifications. Among the most impacted sites on campus is Academy Hall, and the plan to move many student services to south campus.
“Given the global impact of these projects around Academy Hall, we thought it was best to delay the move until the area quiets down,” said Oliver Holmes, director of Campus Planning and Facilities Design.
Phase one of the project is the renovation of Academy Hall and the renovation of sewer, water, and other underground utilities in the area to accommodate the increase in the building’s use. In addition, College Avenue in that area is in the process of being repaved. This extends from the intersection with 15th Street to 13th Street. This portion of the south campus project is currently in progress and will continue through May 9.
At that point, phase two will begin, surrounding Academy Hall by construction together with the Biotech project and the 500-car parking garage. The first part will be the continuation of renovation on College Avenue through to Eighth Avenue, while the second is a lot more involved. The part of 15th Street in front of the Biotech site and Academy Hall will be renovated, with above-ground utilities being moved underground, and the parking lot currently in front of Academy being removed. The intersection of 15th Street and College Avenue will also be the site of major renovation and reconstruction.
Moving student services at this time would just “put students right in the middle of construction,” said Holmes. Instead, the move will be delayed until after graduation, when student traffic will be greatly reduced. “This will definitely lessen the impact on the student population,” Holmes remarked, using a student on crutches hobbling through a construction site to get to the new health center as an example.
At this point, the actual renovation of Academy Hall is on schedule, as the construction of the addition has begun. The addition will be on the side of the building facing Biotech, and will consist of the new main entrance and an elevator shaft to make the building handicapped accessible.
The move has been postponed several times. First scheduled to be completed last fall, it was delayed because the building was not sufficiently accessible for the disabled. The move was again scheduled to be completed by the end of January, but the involved parties decided that a move while school was in session would be too great a disruption to student services, and it was decided to put it off to spring break, while the majority of students would be off campus.
