Summer campus improvements will transform residential house and upgrade athletic fields
Athletic field upgrades, roofing projects and a transformation of Hamilton House into an all-first-year student residence are among the highlights of campus improvement projects to be completed this summer.
The work at Hamilton House follows a residential pilot last year that affirmed first-year students prefer living in close proximity to their peers. As part of the pilot, the College added two new first-year floors in Morrisson House. After great success, plans were put in motion to create an all first-year house on campus. Following this summer’s work, Hamilton House will be the College’s first all-first-year student residence. And as a result of the improvements, 40 percent of the Class of 2021 will live on first-year floors starting this fall.
“We’re very excited about the transformation happening in Hamilton House this summer to get it ready to welcome our new first-year students,” said Sara Rothenberger, assistant dean for residential education and living. “The renovations will also add common rooms on each floor, creating more space for first-year students to connect to their peers.”
Outdoors, the bulk of the summer’s work will focus on Conn’s athletic fields—both the natural grass fields on the main campus, and the artificial turf at the Lyn & David Silfen Track and Field.
At Silfen Field, the College will make extensive repairs and will reinvigorate the turf in anticipation of a final academic year of competition: Silfen Field is slated to be replaced in the summer of 2018.
On the main campus, Harkness and Freeman fields, the home fields for many Camel soccer and lacrosse games, will be renewed and refreshed as part of ongoing maintenance that ensures Conn’s natural grass fields are meeting the highest NESCAC standards.
Other summer work will include repairing and restoring the copper clad dormers on Knowlton House; replacing the roof at the facilities building; and finalizing the design and scheduling to kick off the Global Commons project, which will transform the first floor of the Blaustein Humanities Center into an international hub with a language lab, conference room, collaboration space and offices for Study Away, CISLA, CCSRE and the Global Commons staff.
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June 30, 2017
