The face of Walnut Hill has undergone myriad improvements and renovations this summer, from the newly opened student services super center at Dowling Hall to the refurbished Memorial Steps. The combined construction projects, many of which are still in progress, will eventually cost the University close to $7 million.
The most substantial improvement was completed in early June, when the many offices related to student services moved to Dowling Hall. The center, which students can reach via a footbridge connected to the academic quad, combines a variety of services under one roof, including the Academic Resource Center, the Career Resource Center, the offices of the academic and student life deans, and Student Financial Services. A 500-vehicle parking garage is located beneath Dowling, and the first floor of the building houses the Department of Public Safety and the Tufts University Police Department.
According to Tufts' student handbook, the Pachyderm, Dowling is the "culmination of more than two years of planning and reorganization at Tufts aimed at improving and streamlining services to students" and "brings together student resources into one place that can provide answers to your questions concerning the Tufts academic program."
Though it will be some time before the real efficiency of the center can be accurately measured, many administrators are already pleased with the building's slick design and the ease with which they can solve common problems. "The bridge connection is just fantastic and the design superb," said Vice President of Operations John Roberto.
Alongside the new construction, some of Tufts' oldest buildings also received attention this summer.
Renovations to expand the computer lab in Eaton Hall recently began and are scheduled to be finished later this fall. Adding a central staircase to a newly renovated lower level of Eaton will almost double the lab's capacity, increasing the number of computers from 80 to 150, according to Administration for Information Technology Services and Tisch Library Director Paul Stanton. Eaton will also be given a makeover with improved carpets, lighting, and furniture.
Fifty computers will be available to students in Eaton during the first month of construction, and a small, makeshift lab in the basement of the Tisch library will allow student access to 30 additional computers. In October, the lower level will open with 70 computer terminals, and the main floor will close for renovations. The entire project is targeted to be completed sometime in October.
"It's going to be fairly fantastic when it's done," Stanton said.
A number of residence halls also received improvements this summer, with extensive maintenance and renovations taking place in the A, B, and C towers of the Latin Way apartment complex, a downhill upperclassmen dormitory. New lighting, windows, carpets, and fire alarms were installed in half the building, and many doubles were divided into singles.
Renovations in the other towers will begin next February.
"They're all done in co-op style," said one Latin Way resident who was pleased with the changes. "They redid all of the kitchens and all of the windows in the entire building. They also repaved out front and put up an awning entrance. It makes the building look more like an apartment building - I think it looks really nice."
A number of other enhancements were also made over the summer, including new roofs on Carmichael and Halligan Halls, sprinkler system and fire alarm upgrades in West Hall, and a refurbished basketball arena in Cousens gym. In addition, the Memorial steps were restored and new landscaping and irrigation systems will soon be implemented. The psychology building on Boston Ave. will also be demolished this week to make way for a new building, with more classrooms, offices, and research space. It is estimated to be about a $6.5 million project.
