Tufts' Interfaith Center, a new facility that has replaced the worn-down Catholic Center, is open for use.
Located at 58 Winthrop St., the center is nearly completed and has been operational for two weeks. A dedication ceremony will be held on Friday, Sep, 28.
According to Karla Johnson, the principle of J. Stewart Roberts Associates, Inc. and head architect for the project, the construction began this summer, proceeded "quite quickly," and was not hindered by any substantial delays.
The intent of the project was to renovate the existing building and to create "a welcoming environment that would foster collaboration," Johnson said. To this end, several improvements were made to the facility.
The front porch area, which "had already been compromised quite a bit," according to Johnson, was torn off and that section of the building was reconstructed.
Additionally, ceiling work was done in the interior and the windows were made taller. An elevator was also installed in the facility to keep it in line with building code.
In the basement, new ceilings, windows and floor coverings were installed.
The majority of the construction has been completed. According to University Chaplain David O'Leary, only a "punch list" of odds and ends remains to be finished.
The renovation project has its origins in Tufts' purchase of the Catholic Center from the Archdiocese of Boston back in 2004. O'Leary, who came to Tufts in 1998, said that even then the building was "decrepit."
But when the time came to plan for renovations, administrators decided that, due to the financial expenses required for the project, the facility should serve members of all religions and not only those of the Catholic faith.
O'Leary said that students are enthusiastic about the new center.
"The different religious groups are using it and they're thrilled with it," he said.
Senior Shirwac Mohamed, co-chair of the Muslim Students Association, said the facility is "very spacious, very nice and very clean." While the space serves several groups, he said that so far there have been no scheduling conflicts or any other problems with sharing the space.
Mohamed did say, however, that his group has only been able to use the building from 6-10 p.m., which has been an inconvenience.
"If we had more access to this building it would be perfect," he said.
Senior Ryan Coughlin, the president of the Catholic Community at Tufts, said that while he has not used the new space, he is excited to start.
"It looks great and it has a lot of space," he said.
Coughlin said the new center will foster dialogue between the many faiths at Tufts.
"The fact that we're all sharing the same space will open doors for interfaith dialogue," he said. "I think that's a good thing."
Jamie Bologna and Rob Silverblatt contributed reporting to this article.
