This summer, construction will expand the Collis Center porch, revamp the sailing boat house and install sustainable heating systems into residential halls.
The College began the projects immediately following the end of reunions on June 16 because of the reduced number of students on campus and favorable weather conditions, according to project management services senior director Patrick O’Hern. Other ongoing projects include the renovation of the Hopkins Center for the Arts, Rauner Library, the East Wheelock residential cluster and the Fayerweather Halls.
Collis Center Porch
The revitalization of the Collis porch and surrounding landscape began on June 17 and will finish in the fall, according to Drew Miraldi, a project manager overseeing the renovations. The renovations will raise the porch, replace stairs with a large ramp and expand patio space, he said. The Collis portico will remain unchanged.
The $5 million project, which comes out of the Dartmouth facilities budget, aims to improve the building’s accessibility, aesthetic appeal and winter durability, according to Miraldi. The construction will make Collis a more versatile space and better equipped for hosting large events by widening entrances, he added.
“We know the spirit of Collis and how important it is to the students, and we made sure that we stayed true to what people loved about the porch,” Miraldi said. “We’re making sure that it’s going to be a welcoming, inclusive and sophisticated space for many different functions — whether that’s organized events, casual dining or just meeting up with friends on a summer night.”
To accommodate the construction, the College permanently closed Massachusetts Row to vehicular traffic, according to Miraldi.
“Cemetery Lane, which is on the north side of [Robinson Hall], is now permanently a one way road as well,” Miraldi said.
Decarbonization Efforts
In front of Topliff Hall and New Hampshire Hall, the College is installing a new hot water heating system to retire “old and inefficient” steam lines, O’Hern said. Installation of this pipe began on June 17 and is set to continue through the fall.
The Alpha Phi and Alpha Xi Delta sorority buildings, the Ledyard apartments and McCulloch Hall are closed for housing this summer, as they undergo renovations to help them transition toward hot water heating, according to past reporting by The Dartmouth.
Construction of the new hot water system is part of College President Sian Leah Beilock’s sustainability initiative, the Dartmouth Climate Collaborative, according to the Office of the President website. The new system will provide heating and cooling to multiple buildings across campus, enhancing energy efficiency and sustainability by transitioning to renewable energy sources like geothermal and heat pumps, according to O’Hern.
Sailing Boathouse
This fall, Dartmouth’s women’s and open sailing teams will relocate to a new $13 million boathouse and boat-barn on Mascoma Lake, funded entirely by philanthropic donations. More than $8 million has already been committed to the project, according to the Dartmouth Alumni website.
The new facilities will replace the Allen Boathouse — constructed in the early 1950s — that was “beyond its useful life,” according to senior project manager Lindsay Walkinshaw. The new boathouse on Mascoma Lake will be designed by Maclay Associates of Waitsfield, Vermont, the same firm that designed the new Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. The building will feature natural wood elements in an effort to fit the residential, “lake-house aesthetic,” Walkinshaw said.
The renovations include a boat barn with a 24-foot tall door, allowing sailboats to be conveniently stored fully rigged. The boathouse also features locker rooms, spaces for visiting teams and a viewing room that overlooks the lake. It will also have classrooms for Dartmouth students who take sailing as a physical education course.
“It’s going to be super exciting,” sailing team member Madeline Koelbel ’26 said. “The new boathouse will allow us to practice a lot more efficiently. We currently spend a lot of time moving boats around and rigging them.”
The sailing physical education course typically offered during the summer term is paused this season for the renovations, O’Hern said.
Ongoing Projects
The Hopkins Center for the Arts renovation that began in December 2022 is slated for completion in the fall of 2025. This project, primarily funded through philanthropic efforts, aims to enhance the center’s facilities and accessibility, according to O’Hern.
The East Wheelock Cluster renovations are also in progress, with Zimmerman Hall expected to open for the fall term. These residential renovations focus on creating modern, accessible living and study spaces for students, with an emphasis on building community, according to O’Hern.
The Rauner Special Collections Library renovations that began in the summer of 2022 are “wrapping up soon,” O’Hern said. The $6.5 million renovation of Rauner Library’s exterior will restore the 116-year-old building’s roof and repair the damaged copper detailing, cornices and decorative corbels, according to past reporting by The Dartmouth.
College Street, the road on the east side of the Dartmouth Green, is closed due to a road improvement project by the Town of Hanover, O’Hern said. The town will install a new water line, sidewalk and curbing, according to the Town of Hanover’s website.
“They’ve held off on this as we renovated Reed and Dartmouth [Halls] over the last few years,” O’Hern said. “Now that the construction’s relatively done over here, they could fit these road and infrastructure improvements into their summer construction schedule.”
Construction on the Fayerweather Halls began on June 17 and is expected to last for 20 months, aimed at enhancing student living conditions. These renovations will add accessibility measures such as elevators and ramp entrances, 35 beds, telehealth rooms and communal spaces. While the exterior of the existing three buildings will remain the same, the inside will be “gutted,” according to Walkinshaw.
New structures will be built between each of the buildings, creating one continuous building that can be “walked from end to end on every floor,” Walkinshaw said. The renovations will also feature a new community center for South House, referred to as “the great hall,” Walkinshaw added. The project is slated to finish in summer 2026.
