Students grapple with the new construction on campus
Construction on campus: everyone has seen it, and everyone has heard it but has anyone stopped to question what exactly is happening on our campus? There are three main construction projects currently underway: the College Infrastructure Project, the Milne Library Renovation, and the Sturges Hall Renovation. All of these projects will eventually provide much-needed changes to areas of campus that have gone relatively unchanged for decades.
The College Infrastructure Project is the newest project, and has been the most inconvenient to students, closing off various walkways and roads, and making the college green completely inaccessible. However, despite current inconveniences, the project will likely make campus more convenient later down the line. According to the Geneseo website, the Infrastructure Project will modernize an area of campus (College Circle, between Brodie and Welles Halls) that has not been updated in nearly sixty years.
This project will create broader driving lanes, improved landscaping, enhanced crosswalks, expanded sidewalks, and it will include more benches. In addition to the new landscaping, thirty new trees are going to be planted as a part of this project. The project also includes underground enhancements, such as new network infrastructure, sanitary and storm sewers, and domestic water supply. Students will have to wait some time for the work to pay off though, as the project is expected to take eighteen months to complete.
The renovation of Milne Library has been going on for quite some time now, and it is still on track to reopen in the 2024-2025 school year. Phase one of the project, the demolition, was completed on time, and phase two is underway, with interior walls for the first and second floors already being constructed. The new library will include windows overlooking the Geneseo valley, outdoor patios, a new cafe, as well as increased seating, group study rooms, and improved lighting. This renovation is well needed and is being funded by the State University of New York’s Capital program, which itself is funded by New York State.
In addition to Milne Library, Sturges Hall is also receiving the renovation treatment. Started in December of 2022, the project is intended to be finished in the fall of 2026. While less inconvenient than the College Infrastructure Project, this project still blocks off some sidewalks and walkways, including the stairway between Sturges and the College Union. Relatively unchanged since its construction in 1938, Sturges will undergo a complete “gut renovation.” This means that all interior walls and utilities will be removed, whilst still keeping intact items of historical significance like the grand tower stairway, windows, and clock tower. Additionally, the building’s auditorium will be “historically restored,” and various new rooms will be added, including new classrooms and collaborative spaces, a tutoring center, testing center, and a new community health and counseling office. Once renovation is completed, Sturges will be home to the departments of Communications, History, Political Science and International Relations, Title IX, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The project’s budget is currently 35 million dollars, and this payment is being aided by the State University Construction Fund.
Thumbnail via Kaitlin Anzalone