Dorm and Dining Hall Construction Continues
By SAM ALTMAN, ALLEGRA LAI and JINMIN LEE
Construction for rebuilding the new Wetherell dining hall and renovating Langdell and Merrill Halls began last school year. Although students expected to move into their new dorms at the beginning of the school year, construction delays have pushed back the move-in deadline for those in Langdell Hall, who are staying in a hotel near campus. Merrill Hall is also undergoing final renovation steps, even though students have already moved in.
Students in Langdell are staying in the Hampton Inn & Suites, located just under a mile from campus, and requires a five-minute shuttle or fifteen-minute walk to reach campus. Principal Bill Rawson explained, “We experienced unexpected delays in the early stages of the dorm renovations and dining hall construction.” They are expected to move into the on-campus dormitory by September 20. Construction on Wetherell is projected to finish by the end of the term.
“The construction delays were the result of unforeseen issues that came up in the early stages of the renovations for the dorms and the construction of the new dining hall,” said Director of Facilities Management Mark Leighton. “A lot of effort was put in place to try to regain time, but the complexity of this project, supply chain delays, and labor shortages prevented gaining time.
Langdell dorm faculty and health instructor Mack Kraines also discussed some of the factors that might have led to the delay. “Dorm renovations can be a large capital project and take an extensive amount of time,” he said. “Not only was Langdell renovated, but also Merrill and the re-creation of a brand new dining hall in Wetherell. As you can imagine, there are a lot of moving parts and hoops to jump through in order to make sure this is up and running safely and on time.”
Despite the delay, students can look forward to a whole host of renovations for both Langdell and Merill. “The renovations for both dorms were significant and included complete replacement of the electrical/heating/plumbing systems along with new bathrooms, windows, roof, and interior finishes,” Leighton explained.
In the meantime, the Academy has implemented temporary measures to ensure a smooth and hospitable transition for Langdell students at the Hampton Inn as they wait to settle in on campus. “The Hampton Inn was selected for a few reasons,” said Kraines. “The first is its proximity to campus. It is located on Portsmouth Ave and is a 15-minute walk from campus. Another reason is that the Hampton Inn has been incredibly accommodating to our students and faculty. This wasn’t an easy project, but a lot of people have made an effort to make it as seamless as possible.”
In order to get to campus, students have been taking regularly timed shuttles that arrive every hour. “Students can commute to campus on one of the legendary and luxurious Red Dragon shuttles,” said Kraines. “They have shuttles running during the AM and PM. If they happen to miss the shuttle or want to get their steps in, they also have the option of walking to and from the hotel.”
“We usually have to wake up around 6:30 to get breakfast and make it to class on time since there are only 2 shuttles at 7:15 and 8:15,” described prep Larry Lyu.
“It takes about 5 minutes to get to campus,” added lower Myles Oluwo. “When we get back to the hotel, we check in in the lobby or in our rooms. Sometimes we have to wait 30 minutes or so to get on the shuttle. Although the shuttles often cannot take all the people waiting at once, the high frequency of shuttles in the evening does not make it an inconvenience.”
In order to make life at the Academy as normal as possible for Langdell students, the school has designated an on-campus common room in the Elizabeth Phillips Academy Center (EPAC). “Since our common room in Langdell is unavailable, the school has temporarily reserved the TV and kitchen rooms in the basement of EPAC solely for Langdell students,” shared Kraines. “This can be a great space to study, relax, meet with friends, etc.”
“I can use my time while waiting for the shuttles in the evenings in the basement doing homework,” agreed Oluwo.
The residents of Merrill Hall were able to move into the dormitory at the beginning of the year, but the construction is still undergoing final touches. “Merrill is complete except for the storage room in the lower level, rebuilding of a chimney on the east side, and landscaping around the building,” said Leighton.
“Precautions are in place to keep students separated from the construction area so we do not believe there are safety concerns with the ongoing construction though there may be some inconvenience,” assured Rawson.
“Although there were minor setbacks, such as fixing some of the doors in the dorm, most of the work for Merrill in student areas seems to be done,” added senior Advika Verma, a proctor in Merrill Hall.
As for Wetherell, Rawson noted in his opening assembly that it would be completed by the end of fall term, and hopes that the construction will positively impact Exonians’ experience at the Academy. “The new dining hall will strengthen the sense of community on the north side of campus,” he added. “Since the pandemic, we have learned to make better use of outdoor spaces, including outdoor dining adjacent to Elm. The patio seating outside the new dining hall will be a wonderful expansion of that effort that I am sure everyone will enjoy.” Overall, the administration has been working hard to finish construction and improve quality of life and students have much to look forward to.
