The following message is from the Office of Administration and Finance:
UMW Campus Community,
We continue to make progress on many maintenance projects across campus, including very visible, large projects such as the Monroe Hall roof, and smaller, interior projects such as the Simpson Library stairwells. We want to quickly update you on the status of these projects and provide updated timeline information about their anticipated completion.
The Monroe Hall roof reconstruction project is underway. The contractor has replaced damaged wood rafters in the attic, and materials for the new slate roof will arrive in the next month. This project continues to be weather-dependent, but work will be completed through the winter. Spring classes have not been scheduled in this building, as Monroe Hall remains closed during the repairs. We are working closely with faculty on planning for the spring semester.
The Goolrick Pool project is pending permits for occupancy and requires reworking the drains for permit compliance. Work is ongoing for these necessary steps, allowing time to rebalance the water and resume operations. We hope to have an opening date following winter break and welcome back our swim teams and campus recreation members to the newly renovated pool. Anyone seeking alternative pool locations can contact Campus Recreation for recommendations or read more about the project online. The Fitness Center, auxiliary gym and main gym, along with primary locker rooms remain open.
The Simpson Library stairwells have been on the schedule this year for structural repairs. One stairwell will be closed at a time, maintaining access via the center stairwell or opposite end of the building. Please look for signage in the building to navigate to the open stairwells and elevator. Simpson Library remains open and accessible during this work.
The UMW entrance signs at the corners of College Avenue will have additional landscaping work through the end of the year, with a new brick knee-wall installed at each corner. Sidewalks remain open, and no impact is expected to pedestrian or vehicle traffic.
In addition, we are wrapping up work on the steps at the Cedric Rucker University Center to repair mortar, and we’ll begin brickwork in the area of the HCC Patio, nearby walkway steps, the two walkways bordering Alvey Green/Alvey Parking lot and the stretch of Campus Walk coming from Goolrick to the HCC in the coming weeks. Any alternate routes or detours will be marked as sections of the walkway may be closed for repairs. The small parking lot at Arrington Hall may be closed for a week or two during this project, and some noise is expected during business hours. We appreciate your patience during these repairs to improve the safety and ADA accessibility of this area.
Through Thanksgiving and winter break, Landscape and Grounds will be removing invasive plant species and working in overgrown areas of campus. This work will be concentrated below Seacobeck, around the stream at Melchers and Woodard Halls, and in the bioretention pond at the Jepson Science Center.
Steam System Repairs and Maintenance work will take place the week prior to winter break, as Facilities Operations improves the efficiency of the system beyond the previous improvements made this past summer for the Underground Utilities Project. Steam is scheduled to be turned off on Dec. 16 during the day, pending adequate outdoor temperatures, to check and repair any leaks within the steam pipes. This regular winter maintenance will improve the condensate return as we prepare the system for winter months. We’ll be working closely with any offices and residents impacted by this planned steam outage, which will temporarily turn off our heat and hot water services in buildings from Goolrick Hall to South Hall.
Planning continues for the Accessibility Improvement Project, which will address accessibility needs of the campus in a phased approach over the next three years. Work is anticipated to begin in Madison Hall starting in spring 2025, while the building is offline, followed by Ball and Custis Halls, along with the large classrooms in Jepson and Combs. Site improvements will be made to the Battleground Athletic Complex and across the Fredericksburg Campus to improve navigation, and Westmoreland and Bushnell Halls will benefit from improvements as well. See more information on the Accessibility Improvements webpage.
UMW’s new theatre is still in the planning stages, along with renovations to duPont, Melchers and Pollard Halls. More information will be available following the design review with construction expected to begin following the demolishing of Russell and Marshall Halls in summer 2025. Read more about this project through recent new stories.
More information is available for each of these projects on the Campus Construction website.
For any questions, contact Executive Director of Facilities Operations Brian Gorham at bgorham@umw.edu or Capital Outlay Director Gary Hobson at ghobson@umw.edu.
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