Elm, Webster Among Major Renovations this Summer

While students packed up their belongings in June and left Exeter for summer break, a rush of construction crews descended on campus to complete the slew of summer renovation projects. The task list was extensive, including complex restorations of Webster Hall, Elm Street Dining Hall and the Dean of Students Office, but each project was completed on time and within budget.

“This summer was another period of major construction,” Roger Wakeman, the director of facilities, said in a recent email to faculty and staff. “In the past few months we have made significant strides toward the renewal of our campus facilities.”

Although more than 50 projects took place over the summer months, two of the most significant enterprises were the renovations of Webster Hall and Elm Street Dining Hall, two buildings that were in need of a makeover at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. The dining hall effort included a modernized redecoration, replacing of the floors in the dining areas and a new brick oven stove. Even more substantial, the Webster renovation was phase two of a two-year project and involved a full renewal of all heating, plumbing, electrical and lighting systems, building code upgrades, restorations of the faculty apartments and a complete overhaul of student rooms and bathrooms.

The rebuilding of Webster took over two summers to complete and construction will extend slightly into the school year.

“Only minor work will continue in Webster Hall into mid-September, which will include final testing and commissioning of the mechanical and electrical systems, and final touch-up in various spaces throughout the building,” Wakeman said.

Even so, it seems the renovation has been greeted with much praise from those living in the dorm, which is now a single “Webster Hall” instead of “Webster South” and “Webster North.”

“The layout of the floors, with the bathrooms out of the middle of the hallway where they used to be, is definitely a big improvement,” history instructor and Webster dorm head Giorgio Secondi said. “The new double rooms by the elevator look great—bright and spacious. The renovated bathrooms also look much brighter and more modern.”

These were not the only projects that facilities worked on over the summer, although they were a main focus. For the sixth and final year, crew members completed steam distribution work in the spaces between the Phelps Science Center and Tan Lane House, as well as between the Main Street Dorm and Dutch House. In addition, four buildings received expansive exterior paint jobs, and eighteen faculty houses’ interior living areas were renovated.

Due to a multitude of summer plans and future proposals, restorations and building work are going to proceed throughout the school year as the Facilities Department addresses all of their upcoming targets.

“It will be impossible to achieve our campus renewal goals without some projects being active beyond the traditional summer construction window,” Wakeman said. “Our primary objective remains minimizing the impact of our work on academic and residential life.”

Among the remaining work for this year is the finalization of the steam distribution project, which will be completed in assorted mechanical rooms up until October. Additionally, major work will begin on the Thompson Gym to relocate the fitness room to the lower level. Construction will begin in December and is anticipated to be completed in August 2015.

Looking further into the future, the Academy is preparing two long-term renovations, one of the Class of 1945 Library, and the other of the Forrestal-Bowld Music Center.

“Planning is underway for a renovation and enhancement of the ground floor periodicals room, which is the first step in a full library renewal process,” Wakeman said. “Program committee work will continue in September as part of finalizing the design, and a campus information session is planned for late September/early October. The work is planned to start in late fall and be completed in early January.”

Even more expansive, as a component of the emphasis on elevating the performing arts at the Academy, a considerable addition to the music building is expected to start in the spring of 2015, beginning with the relocation of below ground utilities and preparatory measures, but the construction schedule is dependent upon fundraising deadlines.

“The building expansion will add a large recital studio, small teaching spaces, ensemble rooms and classroom space to the existing building,” Wakeman said.  

Due to the many of projects underway and soon to begin, Wakeman forecasts that the undertakings may interfere occasionally with the Exeter community but that the worker crews and planners are aiming to lessen that interference as well as they can.

Wakeman said, “As we move into the fall term we want to assure the Exeter community that while they will see construction and renovation activity in some areas of campus, our aim is to cause minimal interruption to daily life.”