Returning students familiar with the worn brick fa?§ade of the arcade connecting Miner and Paige Halls or the faded slate roof of the School of Engineering may have been surprised to encounter exposed red brick, blue tarps, and scaffolding this fall.
These construction projects are part of Tufts' $4 million commitment to renovate Anderson and Robinson Halls and a similar $2.6 million effort for Miner and Paige Halls under the deferred maintenance program.
The program operates under a three-year schedule in which a panel of University experts inspects facilities to see which are most in need of immediate improvement. Both sets of buildings fell into this category.
The construction in Anderson Hall this summer and fall involves renovating "the building envelope - window replacement, new roof, brick repair," according to Bob Lind, manager of the Engineering Project Development Center. This means that workers will repair and replace slate roofs, masonry and terra cotta.
Columbia Construction Company is completing the renovation of Anderson Hall and the attached Robinson Hall. The buildings house the School of Engineering and the Physics and Astronomy Department.
A.J. Martini, Inc is working on Miner and Paige Halls and that construction is of "essentially the same scope" as that of Anderson and Robinson Halls, Vice President of Operations John Roberto said. "[Construction] is on the exterior envelope to maintain the useful life of the building so it will serve the needs of the University," said Roberto.
The contracting firms for both projects were selected via competitive bidding.
Work for the two projects began in June, immediately after Commencement. The University expects construction to be finished by early October.
The renovations in Anderson come after the construction of a new water lab for the engineering dean during the winter break of the 2003-2004 academic year. The lab was created in an area that was formerly used as a wood shop.
