Campus Construction Continues
September 24, 2008
A busy fall of academics, recreation, and leisure on the campus of Saint Anselm College has been joined by the buzz of construction this year. Renovations to the former Saint Joan of Arc Convent, and an addition to the Carr Center are currently underway.
Announced by Father Jonathan DeFelice, O.S.B. in the spring of 2008, the initiative will new faculty offices and instructional space in the renovated Saint Joan of Arc Convent — now to be known as Joseph Hall at an estimated cost of $2.5 million, and a new fitness center in the Carr Center at an estimated cost of $2 million
“It is my hope that these projects will significantly improve our academic initiatives and our physical exercise opportunities,” said Father Jonathan in an e-mail announcement to the college. “They will be very valuable additions to our campus and are in accord with needs identified through our master planning process.”
The convent, now to be known as Joseph Hall, is undergoing complete renovations, and will house the Economics and Business Department, the History Department, and the Education Department. Of note will be the addition of a “trading room,” where business students can learn to use a Bloomberg machine for tracking financial markets. Faculty are currently scheduled to relocate to their new offices during the recess in December and January.
Although the majority of exterior renovations to Joseph Hall are now complete, interior work will continue through the fall. Following the departure of the Sisters of Saint Joan of Arc the building was stripped to the frame. A new floor plan will complement the new utilities and ventilation system that have been installed to suit the needs of faculty and students.
An addition to the Carr Center will include a new fitness center for the campus community. Overlooking Sullivan Park and Grappone Stadium, the three-level complex will feature an open layout with a glass-wall exterior. New cardiovascular equipment, as well as weight machines and free weights will fill out the center.
With the foundation now in place, students, faculty, and staff have a sense of the scope of the project. The steel shell of the addition is expected to be erected in the coming weeks, with a targeted open date in late January 2009.
I am delighted to see these changes transpiring at Saint Anselm. As I live on Long Island, I had not visited the campus for over three years until I attended a wedding in the Abbey Church over the Labor Day weekend. The additional classroom space in Joseph Hall is a much needed change, and the trading room (which so many colleges seem to have these days) is definitely another highlight. It is good to see that the college is keeping pace with its residentiial obligations, but one bit of advice on the new fitness center: so many colleges, including those considerably smaller than Saint Anselm, have Olympic size swimming pools. I do remember the recreational size pool from a few years back, which now no longer exists, but in this fitness conscious society, the school would do well to consider at some point adding a six lane, full length pool to its athletic facilities. (This would also be good for our team athletes to keep in shape!)