Four construction projects are currently underway on the Geneseo campus, one of which is nearing completion and is operational. On Sept. 2, Doty Hall was fully functioning, with administrative offices residing on the second and third floors and the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities located in the basement.
According to Assistant Director of Facilities Planning David Norton, administration expects that the ongoing renovation and construction of Bailey Hall, Letchworth Dining Hall and the new college stadium will be complete by 2014.
According to Norton, Doty was opened with minimal difficulties. President Christopher Dahl was the first to move in, and the OPWDD offices followed in early July. The administrative offices were completed and occupied between Sept. 2 and Sept. 6.
Norton said the renovation process faced with many setbacks last year, and minor problems continued to crop up during the summer months. Workers encountered several issues regarding humidity control in Doty’s recital hall, which is also in the final stages of renovation.
“The engineers are working to [find] a solution to bring humidity under control,” Norton said.
Aside from the recital hall and the roofing, the building is considered to be complete.
“Roofing installations are underway… [It should be completed] in October,” Norton said.
Since the administration relocated to Doty, Norton said that Erwin Hall will be turned into a student and faculty center.
Bailey Hall, which remains under construction, will double in size by its projected completion date in May 2014. The building will house the social sciences including psychology, anthropology, sociology and geography, all of which are currently housed in Fraser Hall and Sturges Hall. It is unclear what will be done with the empty rooms in either building.
According to Norton, Bailey Hall will be more energy-efficient when it does open. The building plans make the most of natural resources, particularly in terms of lighting.
“We’re going to take advantage of natural [daylight], the use of lighting a room through windows,” Norton said. Large windows will be installed throughout the building to accommodate these plans. According to the design plans on the Geneseo Facilities Planning and Construction webpage, the building will also feature a rainwater harvesting system.
The new college stadium, which Norton said should be open by fall 2014, will feature a synthetic turf field. According to the Geneseo website, the stadium will house men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s field hockey and various intramural sports. According to Norton, there were some minor setbacks during summer construction, but he said they should not compromise the projected completion date.
Norton said that Letchworth Dining Hall will be completed by this coming June, but it will not open for business until the fall 2014 semester. The renovations will increase the overall square footage of the building, thereby allowing for additional seating space and an assortment of dining options.
Norton said he expects that the building will be completely enclosed by this winter despite some minor setbacks during the construction process over the summer, mostly concerning asbestos.
“There are always going to be issues with construction,” Campus Auxiliary Services Executive Director Mark Scott said. “However, most of the issues we’ve encountered were known prior to moving into the summer.”
Norton described the new Letchworth as a “mall” in terms of the wide variety of dining options within the building, which will include a pizzeria, a grilling station, a deli and a gluten-free eatery. The dining hall will also include a 24-hour cafe, similar to the Southside Cafe in the Red Jacket Dining Hall.
“We believe once it’s open … [the students] will find it to be worth the wait,” Scott said. Norton added, “Even though projects have some difficult times and some setbacks … the end results are magnificent.”υ