Though students returning next semester will not be greeted by any "Wrenovations" or new buildings as they were last year, the University still has multiple projects slated to take place over the summer.
Bush, Hodgdon, and Blakely residence halls will be outfitted with sprinkler systems, Goddard Chapel's structure will be reinforced, and Pearson 104 will be completely renovated.
Sprinklers are being installed as part of a continuing effort to outfit Tufts' dorms with advanced fire-safety equipment, according to Vice President of Operations John Roberto. Because the total job is so large, with pipe installation requiring extensive access to rooms and buildings, the University is not expected to have the improvements to all dorms completed until 2004.
The combination of smoke detectors and sprinklers decreases the chance of death during a fire by 98.5 percent, according to Life Safety Fire Protection, a sprinkler sales company. This is a 48.5 percent increase over prevention by smoke detectors alone.
Goddard Chapel will also receive improvements to its foundation and structure. The aging 119-year-old stone building will have its mortar repaired inside and out, and its foundation will also be strengthened. Some parts of its slate roof will also be replaced. The repairs are expected to continue well into the fall 2002 semester and will destroy most of the landscape around the chapel.
The Pearson 104 classroom will get a face-lift similar to that of the Barnum 008 and Braker 01 rooms. Better seating, lighting, and audio-visual materials will be installed in the heavily used lecture hall.
The much-awaited music building is still waiting for "fundraising achievements," so no plans have been made to break ground. Preliminary sketches have been drawn, but, presently there are no firm schematics or blueprints.
President Larry Bacow is looking forward to the time when this new addition can become a reality. "The music building will finally provide our talented students and faculty with the facilities that they deserve," he said.
Though the University is hoping to break ground on a new dorm within the upcoming months, plans for the structure are still under development. Roberto said the 150-bed dorm, to be situated on Talbot Ave., has not yet been completely designed.
The structure will likely include a mix of singles and doubles, a professor's apartment, study rooms and lounges. The dorm is likely to promote Bacow's campus unity ideals.
"We need more housing so the dorm will help," Bacow said. "I also think this dorm will represent a different kind of housing for Tufts, one that consciously tries to create a strong sense of residential community."
As a result of an expansion boom during the '60s, many buildings were constructed in a short period of time, according to Roberto. This trend happened nationwide and, consequently, many universities have a backlog of critical maintenance issues. Tufts spends about $10-12 million a year in deferred maintenance projects, a sum which Roberto says is due in large part to the Trustee's commitment to maintaining the three campuses.
"University-wide, including utilities, we have about a $70 million backlog of work," Roberto said. "That's not too bad compared to the value of our physical plant."
Roberto said that, under the deferred maintenance program, campus appearance has improved over the years. "We're definitely making headway," he said.
Several of the projects that have been undertaken are expensive "system" replacements. As many of Tufts' buildings age, they require new roofs, windows, and mechanical or electrical systems.
These repairs are both costly and invasive, so the University often must complete them during very short periods of time. Roberto said that many of the more difficult and expensive repairs had already been completed.
