The $15.1 million renovations to Cambridge Hall are three months in, with the dorm on schedule to reopen in fall 2016, Residential Facilities officials said.
The renovations will bring air conditioning, new bathrooms and new study spaces. The building will also receive energy-efficient windows and a new mechanical system, said Jon Dooley, Residential Facilities director.
With larger study rooms and lounges, Cambridge Hall will be able to hold 204 students, down from the 232 it accommodated before the renovations, Dooley said.
“Right now, we are [demolishing] the building,” said Brian Snyder, associate director of projects for Residential Facilities. “Getting rid of the partitions and walls for the lounges and study spaces.”
The 54-year-old building was in need of an update, Dooley said, and it’s the first high-rise to undergo yearlong renovations instead of the usual plan, which spans three summers.
“In the past, Jon Dooley might have done windows and air conditioning,” said Deb Gardner, Department of Resident Life director. “We might’ve closed for a summer and done what we could do for a summer.”
However, these renovations are the first in a series of moves established by the On-Campus Student Housing Strategic Plan, which was published last year and laid out a 15-year vision for this university’s housing system.
“The plan helped us figure out what are all the things we can do in a building at one time,” Gardner said. “We felt confident that closing the building down was going to be the most advantageous option.”
The University System of Maryland approved funding for the project last year, and Dooley hopes the funding will keep coming for future projects on other dorms that need renovation.
“[Cambridge Hall] was certainly worn for its age and, like our other high-rises, was ready to be upgraded as long as the University System of Maryland continues to approve funding, like they did for this project,” Dooley said.
Dorchester, Ellicott and Hagerstown halls are the next dorms to be renovated, with scheduled completion dates of August 2017, August 2019 and August 2020, respectively, according to the plan.
For now, Resident Life and Residential Facilities focused on Cambridge Hall and finishing the high-rise on time.
“We’re very excited about the project,” Snyder said. “We are definitely looking forward to the end product.”