It took Boston’s Wheelock College 40 years to build its first all-new building. Now, they only have seven months to finish their next big campus improvement project.
In January, Wheelock completed construction of a new campus center and student residence. The new construction bought the school some much-needed time to embark on its next project: an ambitious, top-to-bottom, $10 million renovation of its almost century-old Riverway House residence hall.
The project has an exceptionally tight deadline, according to Ed Jacques, vice president of student life and informational services at Wheelock. The fully-renovated residence hall must be completed in time for the start of the fall semester.
Dramatic Expansion
And it will be just in time, Jacques said. The school has recently seen its undergraduate population jump by 60 percent.
In a 2007 Institutional Master Plan, Wheelock estimated its ideal size from an academic and financial perspective is about 1,100 students. Research and data gathered about its students suggests the on-campus living experience results in better academic and social experiences. The new beds are needed as the college wants to continue to house at least 70 percent of its students on campus, Jacques said.
By utilizing space in the newly-constructed campus center building, the private college relocated students from the aging Riverway House over spring break so work could begin.
“We had a seven-month window open up with the completion of the campus center,” Jacques said. “We didn’t lose any beds when we moved students from the Riverway House to the new beds above the campus center. The population of the school has grown from about 500 to about 800 undergrads now – which for us is quite dramatic. We will need the additional beds by the fall.”
Built in 1912 in what is now Boston’s Longwood Medical and Academic Area, the 3 story, 28,360-square-foot residence hall is in need of some serious TLC, Jacques said. The original building had either served as apartments or a rooming house, he noted.
‘Unseen Hurdles’
Quincy-based construction manager/general contractor Lee Kennedy Co. set about gutting the building and renovating the space for 128 beds and adding an additional 4,000 square feet, in February. The project has so far proven to be a challenge.
“Unseen hurdles are common when you’re dealing with a fast-track project like this,” said Billy Manning, assistant superintendent at Lee Kennedy. “When we came in we discovered asbestos around a lot of the pipes … and we’re trying to figure out right now how the elevators will be installed. You just need to figure out the best sequence to get everything done in a fast and safe way, and on time.”
As a testament to the age of the building, the team, which includes architect DiMella Shaffer of Boston and Cambridge-based structural engineers LeMessurier, discovered an unused boiler in a sealed-off area of the building’s basement when taking down some walls. Newspaper clippings from 1931 littered the floor around the boiler, Manning said.
Riverway House and two adjacent buildings are bounded by the Riverway, Pilgrim Road and Short Street. There is evidence the buildings were connected at one time, said Jacques.
“A lot of our residence halls were not built to function as dormitories, and have been converted into dorms along the way,” Jacques said.
The renovation is about 30 percent complete, Manning said. There is still a lot of work left to be done over the summer in order to meet the strict deadline.
“We will definitely end up working weekends to meet the deadline,” he added.
So far, two stair towers have been torn down, walls ripped out and numerous fireplaces removed. The old floors will remain, but with new flooring laid on top. The two original front stairways and entrance will remain. The entire floor plan of the building is being re-worked, and new windows will be fitted throughout.
Lee Kennedy is also constructing two small additions on the south side of the building. The new areas will bring an additional 4,000 square feet to the building, upping the square footage to 32,480 square feet, and netting a total of 39 additional beds.
The 60,000-square-foot, mixed use Campus Center and Student Residence completed earlier this year also brought new beds to campus. The building boasts a new cafeteria and 108 student residences on upper levels.
“The cafeteria was formerly located in the basement of a 100-year-old building, so the new addition and the in-progress renovation has been exciting for everyone,” Jacques said.
