Washington Quad Construction: 2008 Updates

May 12, 2008

Dear South Hill Community Residents,

Due to the weekend’s inclement weather, the contractor will be on site today, May 12 and tomorrow, May 13 to complete the following tasks that we’ve asked them to do before your move out for the summer:

The contractors will return after closing to complete the quad, including the plaza area between Calvert and Baltimore and the new steps between South Campus Commons 1 and 2. Please continue to remain out of the fenced-in construction areas.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via the South Campus Community Office, 0200 Calvert or 301-314-7484. Good luck with finals and have a great summer!

April 17, 2008

Dear South Hill Community and South Campus Commons Residents,

Beginning on Monday, April 21, construction will begin in the area between Baltimore, Calvert, and Prince Georges halls. This work to create a new plaza and staircase involves the demolition of the sidewalk and brick wall in this area along with the current staircase between South Campus Commons Buildings 1 and 2.

What is happening during this phase of construction?
A construction fence will be installed on April 21 and will be in place through the end of final exams. Please do not attempt to enter this construction area once the fence is installed.

Work will begin each day at 8:30AM. The first phase of this work will involve the demolition of concrete, the brick wall, and the staircase in this area. This work will be noisy and dusty. Thus, we encourage you to keep your windows closed during the day if you are a residents living in Baltimore, Calvert, or Prince George’s halls and you have windows facing this construction area.

After the current site is demolished, contractors will then build the new stairs and sidewalks using a multi-step process. First, forms will be built for new stairs, sidewalks and curbs. Then, the contractor will pour concrete. Please be aware, rain or other inclement weather prevents the contractor from pouring concrete and may result in the modifications to the construction schedule.

Work on this new plaza area will continue through the end of May. However, no work will be done during final exams.

What does this mean for you?
You will not be able to walk through this area nor will you be able to access the stairs located between South Campus Commons Buildings 1 & 2. As alternate walking routes during this construction period, please use the sidewalks between Garrett Hall and South Campus Commons Building 2 or the sidewalks behind South Campus Commons Building 1.

Additionally, during this phase of construction, you will not be able to drive along the road behind Baltimore Hall and Calvert Hall. This road will be open only at night to allow for emergency vehicle access but will be closed during the day due to construction activity.

Washington Quad Renovation
Work on Washington Quad is moving along! Most of the grass, trees, and other plants have been installed. The volleyball court has also been installed. Work continues on the brick-paved sidewalks, pergolas, and two barbeque grills. As soon as possible, we will open sidewalk areas to enable you to walk through the Quad rather than around it. Unfortunately, we will not be able to open the lawn areas for your use until there has been adequate time for the grass and plants to take root. In the meantime, please do not attempt to enter the quad area and please continue to stay outside any fenced locations through the remainder of the project.

Thank you for the immense patience during this project. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at the South Campus Community Office, 0200 Calvert, 301-314-7484.

April 9, 2008

Dear South Hill Residents,

You may have noticed that the Washington Quad is starting to take shape! However, the site is still very much a construction site so please do not to enter the site under any circumstance.

Recent progress on the project includes:

Soon work will begin to demolish the sidewalk area between Calvert and Baltimore Halls as well as the stairs leading to South Campus Commons 1 &2. Once we have a set date for this phase of the work to begin, we will notify you as this work will be noisy and will result in having to alter the route you use to get to South Campus Commons, Mowatt Lane Garage, etc.

Work on the Quad will continue for the remainder of this semester and is scheduled to be completed in June. No work will be done during Finals Week or during Spring residence halls move-out. We will continue to provide you updates via email. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to visit the South Campus Community Office in 0200 Calvert or call us at 301-314-7484. Thank you.

March 14, 2008

Attention Residents of Baltimore, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Prince George’s, and Washington Halls

During Spring Break week, March 17 – 21, the contractor will begin work each day in the Quad at 7:30 am. The contractor will return to the 8:30 am start time when classes resume on Monday, March 24

Work in the Quad has been progressing since the semester began in late January. You may have noticed the following:

A few of the many things the contractors are currently working on include:

The demolition of the sidewalk areas between Baltimore and Calvert Halls along with the staircase leading to South Campus Commons buildings 1 & 2 cannot be done until work is substantially completed inside the quad. While we had hoped this work would be done by now, this phase of the construction will not occur until April and conclude in May. We hope to have more specific information regarding when this phase of the work will begin after Spring Break.

If you have any questions regarding the Washington Quad construction, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can reach us at the Resident Life South Campus Community office at 0200 Calvert Hall or by calling 301-314-7484. Please note: University offices are closed on March 17 - 18, 2008. Throughout the break you can reach our Resident Life duty staff by calling the Annapolis Desk, 301-314-ANNA. Have an enjoyable and safe Spring Break!

February 15, 2008

As part of the Washington Quad renovation project, several new metered parking spaces will be installed on Knox Road, adjacent to South Campus Commons buildings 3 &4. This installation is scheduled to occur on or about February 20, 2008. These meters will allow you to load/unload your vehicle of groceries, etc. The meters will be installed and maintained by the Department of Transportation Services and will be 28-minute meters similar to those found near Annapolis Hall and near South Campus Commons 1&2. Please do not park in this area prior to the meters being installed.

Thank you,
Cindy Felice
Associate Director, Resident Life

January 2008

Dear South Hill Community residents:

Happy New Year and welcome back to campus! While you were away for the Winter Break, construction of the Washington Quad has continued despite the cold weather. The contractor is in the process of finishing the sidewalk areas outside each residence hall and continues to work to grade the future lawn area inside the quad. Topsoil will soon be delivered even though the sod will not be planted until warm weather arrives. Additionally, the contractor has begun the work for the two pavilion areas which will be located in front of Baltimore Hall.

Soon the contractor will begin the next phase of the project – demolition of sidewalk and road area between Calvert and Baltimore Halls as well as the staircase leading to South Campus Commons. This work will take approximately 8 weeks to complete. During this phase, you will not be able to access the stairs leading to South Campus Commons. Residents in Baltimore and Calvert Halls as well as residents of South Campus Commons buildings 1 & 2 will be affected by noise and truck traffic during this phase. As soon as we have a definitive start date for this next phase, we will update you. Inclement weather will continue to be an important factor in how quickly the contractors can do some work, especially the pouring of concrete. When this next phase is completed, a new double staircase will replace the current single stairway.

For those of you who are new to the South Hill Community this semester, we invite you to learn more about the entire Washington Quad project at our website. Upon completion later this spring, the Washington Quad will have a volleyball court, two covered sitting areas, two large barbeque grills, bike racks, wireless internet access, and lots of outdoor seating.

We thank you and ask for your continued patience as we work to finish this project. We are in the process of scheduling a community meeting about the construction project to provide you with further updates and answer your questions. As soon as this meeting is scheduled, we will notify you. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the project, please do not hesitate to contact us at the South Campus Community Office in 0200 Calvert Hall or by calling 301-314-7484.

Best of luck this semester. Please let us know if we can help in any way.

Sincerely,

Genevieve Conway
South Hill Community Director

Cindy Felice
Associate Director, Resident Life