Students will return after the summer to a renovated Mayer Campus Center featuring new heating, ventilation and air conditioning as well as aesthetic improvements and improved accessibility.
The Campus Center will close tomorrow for the duration of the summer to undergo the $3.6-million renovation project and will be completed by the beginning of the fall semester, according to Senior Construction Manager Ray Santangelo.
The new air conditioning system will make the building more comfortable for students, Associate Director of Campus Life Laura DaRos said.
"They're switching the system so we'll have better control over the heat in the building," DaRos said. "There will be a more consistent climate."
The installation will necessitate new mechanical equipment and new ceilings throughout the building, according to Santangelo.
The renovations will also bring a fresh layer of paint and new carpet in the offices and conference rooms and make the Commons wheelchair-accessible by bringing its floor level with the floor in Hotung DaRos said.
Both Santangelo and DaRos said the renovations mark a significant improvement to the campus center's atmosphere.
"I think students will really benefit because the building will be much more comfortable as far as the air and the temperature and consistency," DaRos said. "The cosmetics of having new carpet and paint [will] give it a facelift," she said.
The Facilities and Construction Department has been working with an architect and a contractor for the past year to develop the plans for the renovations, Santangelo said.
The new projects follow up on work done over last summer to redesign the information booth and install in the Campus Center's main entrance aesthetic changes and new technology like a display screen for the JoeyTracker GPS service.
"I think it's going to really tie in the work we did in the lounge and the lobby," Santangelo said. "I think it's going to bring that feel to the Commons as well as the other areas in the building. It's just going to be much brighter and more comfortable and a better space."
Tufts has not planned any further renovations to the campus center following this summer's projects, according to DaRos.
The OCL would like to see more interior updates in the future, however, she said.
"Of course we would love to be able to continue to put new furniture in here and modernize the building a little, but more because it's such a high-traffic place," DaRos said.
Dining Services plans to provide two new eateries to temporarily replace locations affected by the construction. The ‘Lobby Shop at Dewick' in the lobby of Dewick Dining Hall and the ‘Cart on the Quad' will serve as alternatives to the Commons and Hotung while they are closed for the duration of the renovations, according to Director of Dining Services Patti Klos.
The Campus Center's normal eateries will reopen for full use in late August.
The ‘Lobby Shop at Dewick' will offer sandwiches, salads, snack foods and beverages similar to those at Brown and Brew or The Tower Café, Klos said.
"The tables and couches are coming out, and we're going to set up some equipment in the lobby," she said. Limited seating will be available.
The ‘Lobby Shop at Dewick' will open at the start of the first summer session on May 25, and will close at the end of the second session, according to Klos.
In addition, Dining Services will during the summer revive the ‘Cart on the Quad,' which offers snacks and beverages near the entrance to Dowling Hall.
"We eliminated that service two years ago when the market tanked, but we're going to bring it back," Klos said. "We're just trying to give the community an additional service point for summer."
