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The Washington Quad is getting an
Extreme Makeover
By the spring of 2008, the Washington Quad -- the outdoor area within the South Hill Community that is surrounded by Baltimore, Prince George’s, Harford, Frederick, Washington and Howard residence halls – will be transformed into a richly landscaped park-like setting for residents’ relaxation and enjoyment.
(Click image for more drawings)
Improvements to this two-acre site will add:
- several large lawn areas
- benches
- volleyball court
- barbecue grills
- 12 bike racks
- outdoor wireless Internet access
- brickwork complementing Georgian Colonial architecture in surrounding residence halls
- more trees and shrubs than currently exist on the site
- two covered pergolas (pavilions) with tables and chairs
- custom paver design in walkway featuring the UM logo
- metered “drop off” parking spaces behind Baltimore Hall
(Click for larger image)
As with any large construction project, there will be inconveniences for many of the students and staff members who live, walk and park in the areas surrounding the Washington Quad.
Detailed planning has included many ways to minimize inconveniences to residents and passersby. Despite the careful planning, persons in the vicinity of the Washington Quad should expect the following during most or all of the Fall 2007 semester:
- Construction fences will encircle the interior portion of the entire Washington Quad (see map above) for most or all of fall semester. Some fences will be placed not more than 10- to 15-feet from residence hall entrances and windows.
- Fences will be in place for all move- in days in August, so vehicles will no longer be allowed on the quad for unloading or any other purpose.
- Getting belongings moved into these residence halls in late August will be more tiring and time consuming than in years past. Detailed arrival and move-in instructions will be provided to residents of the affected buildings.
- South Hill residents will be inconvenienced for approximately 10 to 11 weeks during fall semester by construction activity noise, truck traffic in and out, dust, pedestrian paths disrupted by fencing, etc.
- The worst of the inconveniences will be experienced by residents whose windows look out over the Washington Quad or the fire lane access road between Baltimore and Calvert halls and South Campus Commons #1.
Once the project is completed, personal vehicles will not be allowed into the quad area or onto sidewalks for any purpose, including residence hall move-ins and move-outs.
Planning for the project has included the following environmental benefits:
- Replacement of approximately 30% of hardscape (concrete, asphalt) with grass and other plantings
- Campus’s first use of storm water irrigation system (stores and recirculates rain water to planting beds, saving water costs by reclaiming storm water run-off)
- 33% increase in the number of replacement trees on the finished site, in addition to hundreds of new foundation plants and shrubs
- Addition of recycling and trash containers on the site
- Salvage and re-use of some existing sidewalk brick
- Recycling of concrete, asphalt and other construction waste (instead of dumping into local landfills)
- Mulch for new plant beds will be produced from food waste taken from campus dining facilities
Before move-in days in August, the existing trees inside the Quad will be cleared to make way for the new plantings and architectural features.
Unfortunately, most of the largest and oldest of these trees are in decline and are being removed because they would not survive the construction activity.
Starting late July, there will no longer be vehicle access onto the Washington Quad, save for ambulances and fire trucks. Construction fence (see photo below) has been installed. Existing concrete and asphalt will be dug out and hauled away, and the foundation will be laid for the revitalized Quad.
Construction fencing was installed in the week of July 23-27. Tree clearing will be
completed prior to Opening Week.
As the semester begins and work crews are coming onto the site every weekday and some Saturdays, residents will experience some continuing disruptions. For example, having to walk around the fenced area will make it -- for some residents -- a longer, less direct walk to classes, the South Campus Dining Hall and the Mowatt Lane Garage.
On weekday mornings, construction crews may be arriving for work before 8:00am and noise from their backhoes, bulldozers and trucks can be expected as early as 8:00am.
The patience and understanding of all who live in and walk through the South Hill Community will be
appreciated.
Construction vehicles will occasionally cause delays for drivers trying to access Susquehanna Hall, the South Campus Dining Hall and the South Campus Commons buildings via Lehigh Road.
At one point during fall semester, as work crews move around the Quad, access to every building’s Quad-side entrance will be blocked for one or two days from 8:00am to 4:00pm so that sidewalks and/or steps leading into a residence hall’s stairwell can be demolished and rebuilt. When this happens, advance notice of one or two days will be provided to the affected residents.
As the project nears completion, the “mini-plaza” between Calvert, Baltimore and Prince George’s halls and the existing stairs between the Calvert service road and South Campus Commons #1 and #2 will be demolished and rebuilt. Advance notice of this work also will be
provided.
No outages of water service are anticipated as the construction proceeds. One brief electrical outage affecting Howard and Washington halls will be needed at some point in the project to connect new electric service installed on the Quad to circuit breakers in these two buildings. When this happens, advance notice of one or two days will be provided to the affected residents.
We understand how inconvenient it will be, at times, for people who live and walk in the vicinity of the construction zone. To that end, the
general contractor and appropriate University agencies will cooperate with measures that are designed to minimize the negative impacts of having a construction site in our neighborhood.
As examples:
- Existing security light poles will be removed during some construction phases. When this occurs, alternate security lighting will be installed.
- Periodic security walks will be made to check on security lighting, pedestrian paths, emergency phones, accessibility for persons with disabilities, etc.
- The construction area will be fenced, and this fence will be secured at the end of each work day.
- No person should enter or attempt to enter the fenced-in area at any time of the day or night.
- On most weekdays, work crews should be leaving the site by 6:00pm. When Saturday work is necessary, the schedule should be no earlier than 8:00am to no later than 6:00pm.
- Signs will direct pedestrians to the preferred walking paths to class rooms and other buildings.
- Workers will not park in student or staff parking spaces
Study Reminder: The multi-purpose room on the first floor of Annapolis Hall is available 24/7 for quiet study, unless the space has been reserved in advance for
an event. This room offers wireless Internet service. |
Residential Facilities staff will work directly with the contractor throughout the project and keep us all informed about the progress of work and alerted to upcoming activity and disruptions that affect residents. This will be done to help residents anticipate and adjust to inconveniences as they occur. Communications methods involving both Residential Facilities and Resident Life will include:
- E-mail notifications to residents and possibly others on matters of urgent concern
- Updates on work progress and timetables will be posted here
- Meetings with students and student groups
Listening to your questions and concerns is important to us. Your questions, ideas and suggestions will be welcomed.
As you have questions or concerns, please contact us by:
- Calling (301-314-7484) or visiting (0200 Calvert Hall) South Campus staff (issues and concerns)
- Calling the Residential Facilities project manager at (301-314-7512)
(project plans and progress)
- Send an e-mail to: reslife@umd.edu
The Residence Hall Association (RHA) is another resource for you. Please visit www.marylandrha.com or stop by the RHA offices in room 3142 of the South Campus Dining Hall.
The RHA "is eager to endorse and see this project through to its completion," noted RHA president Sumner Handy. "Next spring, when
construction is completed and the Quad is available for residents to enjoy, benches on grassy lawns, increased foliage, and barbecue
grills will linger right at South Hill's residents' fingertips.
"Students will be able to access the Internet wirelessly or watch a game of volleyball while relaxing in one of two permanent pavilions," he continued. "By the time the renovation is completed, South Hill will be the envy of the campus community."
| In this University Archives photo circa 1945, the Washington Quadrangle is beginning to take shape (upper left), just over the roof of Harford Hall.
Note the future locations of Frederick Hall (1948) and Cecil Hall (1959), on
either side of Harford Hall. Cars (lower left) are parked in front of a gymnasium,
on the site now occupied by Annapolis Hall. |
Quad is short for quadrangle, literally “a rectangular area surrounded on all four sides by buildings.”
The Washington Quad took shape in 1944 (see University Archives photo circa 1945), the year that Dormitories C and E (later renamed Harford and Prince George’s residence halls) opened for students.
Two sides of the quadrangle were complete by 1940, when Dormitories G, H, I, J, K and L (later renamed Washington and Howard residence halls) were opened for students. These buildings joined Calvert Hall (1914) and Silvester Hall (1921, later renamed Baltimore Hall).
The Quad was finally filled in when Dormitory M (later renamed Frederick Hall) opened for students in 1948.
| (Click for larger image and description) |
In those days, the South Hill housed only male students. All of the female students on campus lived in North Hill, where just two buildings – Margaret Brent Hall (1932, later renamed St. Mary’s) and Dormitory B (1937, later renamed Anne Arundel – existed until 1949. That’s the year that Dormitories 2 and 3 (later renamed Somerset and Queen Anne’s residence halls) were opened.
It is not clear when the term Washington Quad came into widespread use.
By the early 1970s, several basketball courts, a few benches and plantings had been installed on the Quad. The courts were removed in the 1980s.
Redevelopment of the Quad as a place where students can relax and socialize with friends was delayed for more than 20 years by budgetary concerns. Redevelopment plans were made possible by the involvement of the developer, Capstone Developmentof Birmingham, AL.
*
By Early August 2007
- Install construction fence in the site
- Work crews, vehicles start entering/departing site from between
Baltimore and Calvert halls (continues for duration of project)
- Finish tree clearing
- Install erosion control
- Begin clearing site of all fixtures, plant materials, concrete and asphalt
- Begin installing underground utility lines and storm water collection system
By Move-in Days in August
- Fencing in place around inside perimeter of quad
- Pedestrians confined to single walkway around entire inside perimeter
- No personal vehicles on or near Quad area
By End of Fall Semester
- Finish installing campus’s first storm water irrigation system
- Finish installing utility lines
- Pour concrete for walkways
- Demolish and rebuild stairs and/or steps at quad-side entrances to residence halls
- Start constructing two pergolas (i.e., small pavilions)
- Install site plant materials
- Install site fixtures and furnishings (permanent security lights, blue-light emergency phones and cameras, benches, barbecue grills, trash and recycling containers, etc.)
- Demolish and rebuild mini-plaza between Baltimore, Prince George’s
and Calvert halls
- Demolish and rebuild stairs leading from Calvert service road to
South Campus Commons buildings
* all information is preliminary, and subject to additions and changes |
Projected Completion Date:
November 2007
Size:
2.28 acre construction site
Developer:
Capstone Development, Birmingham, AL
Architects/Planners:
Design Collective, Inc., Baltimore, MD
Construction Contractor:
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, Baltimore, MD
UMCP Project Management:
UMCP Project Management: Residential Facilities in conjunction with UM’s Facilities Management, Public Safety, Campus Recreation Services, Transportation Services and Information Technology departments
Project Cost:
Estimated at $3.03 million
Funding Sources:
Residuals from construction of South Campus Commons buildings #5 and #6, gifts to the University from the developer, residence hall project funds
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