Though several building projects remain in the design phase, construction is scheduled to begin this September on an LGBT affinity house and a physical plant for Kappa Delta sorority.
KD's house at 1 Occom Ridge Road will include 23 beds and a 79-vehicle parking lot to serve multiple Greek houses on Webster Avenue. Members of the organization currently reside on the fourth floor of Hitchcock Hall.
The Board of Trustees approved the $3.95 million project in June, and Trumbull-Nelson Construction has been hired. Construction on the parking lot began last week, and the house is scheduled to be finished by July 2014.
Along with bedrooms on the upper floors, the 13,275-square-foot residence will include a formal function space, kitchen and basement with a social area and storage room.
With an efficient heating and cooling system and triple-glazed windows, the house's environmentally conscious design is similar to those of other recently constructed Greek houses. The parking lot will incorporate an underground storm water treatment system that reduces the amount of ground water flowing off the project site, said Matt Purcell, director of project management, campus planning and facilities.
While the plant's location may affect other Webster Avenue properties including Alpha Chi Alpha fraternity, which has been forced to relocate its volleyball court Purcell said it was the most logical option. All student residences must be built within the institutional zone, which has a limited number of available sites.
The construction schedule will take into account the residential student atmosphere, Purcell said. The usual 7:00 a.m. construction start time will be pushed forward to avoid inconveniencing students, and no construction will occur during exam periods.
The proposal for Triangle House, an affinity house for Dartmouth's LGBT community, will be submitted for the Board of Trustees' approval in September.
Once approved, a contractor will be selected, and construction will begin the last week of September. Expected to cost $3 million, the plant is also scheduled to be completed by July 2014.
Triangle House, planned for 4 North Park Street, will replace current housing for staff and faculty, who will relocate outside of the institutional zone, Purcell said. The 14,590-square-foot residence will offer 25 beds for students, a two-bedroom apartment for an advisor, a social space, kitchen and study.
Both houses will meet the Americans with Disabilities Act's housing requirements. Outside sources will not fund either project, Purcell said.
In addition to these projects, Dartmouth will continue to advance multiple projects still in their design phase, including expanding the Hood Museum of Art's facilities, enhancing Hopkins Center performance and rehearsal spaces, renovating Fairchild Hall and building an indoor practice facility for athletic programs.
This summer, the area in front of the Class of 1953 Commons has been closed to repair the steam line that provides heating and electric water to the dining hall.
After the steam line failed this winter, minor repairs were made to sustain it until June.
Major construction on the steam line, which runs from McNutt Hall to the tunnel between '53 Commons and the Collis Center, could not begin until summer term, assistant director of engineering and utilities Ken Packard said.
The initial deadline was extended after L&M Construction, which was hired to complete the project, discovered communication lines and other unidentified utilities underground.
"We've had to redesign the piping layout, as well as identify some of those lines to find out if they're still active or not," Packard said.
Facilities, Operations and Management submitted a project proposal to the trustees in March. Despite construction setbacks, the company plans to adhere to its original estimated budget of $795,000, Packard said.Construction began July 1 and should be completed by Sept. 1, in time for orientation.
Though construction is occurring in a heavily trafficked area near the dining hall, no significant complaints have been received by the office, Packard said. Another steam line located near Bartlett Hall will be repaired starting this week. Construction, estimated to cost $580,000, should be completed by Sept. 10, although small-scale modifications will be made until Nov. 1.
This term, the College has spent $310,000 on an exploratory research project regarding the replacement of the glass panels on the Hopkins Center's facade. Several replacement panels have been ordered, and the project is set to be completed by Sept. 1.
Vermont Heating and Ventilation recently repaired and refurbished air conditioning in Dick's House. The $600,000 project was proposed in December and began on April 15.
FO&M hopes to replace Leverone Field House's track and turf by the end of August, before athletic teams arrive for preseason. Construction began in June after Commencement and is estimated to cost $140,000.
