Facilities Management Summer Project Highlights

^{Above: Exterior demolition of the Theodore S. Stern Student Center, which is undergoing a complete renovation (photos by Catie Cleveland)}

When you’ve got 158 buildings to take care of – 90 of which were constructed between 1770 and 1940 – you don’t get a lot of downtime. Just ask Facilities Management, which kicks into high gear during the summer – taking full advantage of the empty classrooms and residence halls to tackle building upgrades, updates, renovations and refreshes. And this summer was no exception!

“Summers are our busiest time of year – and, since we only have a few short months to complete everything on our list, it can be a little overwhelming,” says Brad Weiland, vice president of Facilities Management. “I want to thank our dedicated staff for their hard work over the summer. We made great improvements to the campus buildings, and everyone should be proud of what they accomplished.”

In addition to refreshing many classrooms across campus with new flooring and fresh paint, Facilities Management staff continued installing access control systems to buildings campuswide, and Central Energy removed all steam systems and installed boilers and domestic water heaters all across campus.

Besides roof repairs and the installation of new windows, flashings and cladding at the School of Education (86 Wentworth St.), other exterior improvements include:

• New LED lighting for the baseball field at Patriots Point
• Porch repairs to the Greek houses at 34–36 Coming Street
• Storefront replacement at 329 King Street
• Roof repairs and selective replacement at Sottile

Residence halls saw a lot of improvements. Craig Residence Hall (33 St. Philip St.), for example, had both interior and exterior renovations, including new flooring and a renovated game room as well as a new roof and fresh paint and stucco. Work also continued at Berry Hall (80 St. Philip St.), where a multiphase HVAC upgrade continues and the Honors College spaces have been relocated to the first floor. The reconfiguration and renovation of the ground floor are complete.

At Buist Rivers Residence Hall (13 College Way), seven new suites were added to the first floor, and the bathrooms have been redesigned for increased privacy/security. In addition to renovations to the community lounge and laundry and kitchen spaces, all interior finishes, lighting and furniture have been replaced – as has the plumbing and electrical infrastructure.

Some of the most prominent construction sites are located on George Street, including the Edward J. Tuccio ’91 Student Success Center (58 George St.) and the Stern Student Center (71 George St.). The former is out for bid and will include full interior/exterior renovations, structural repairs, infrastructure modernization and demolition/reconstruction of a small addition to include accessible restrooms, elevator and infrastructural system hubs. It is expected to complete in October 2026.

The Stern Student Center is currently in the exterior demolition phase, with an expected completion of November 2026. This project is a wholescale renovation that will address building envelope failures, bring electrical systems up to code, replace mechanical systems, reclaim needed space from the vacant aquatic center, improve the usability of the third-floor ballroom and improve food service, meeting and informal student spaces. The project will also relocate the student gym from George Street Fitness Center, supplement admissions spaces and improve circulation and use of an exterior green as scope and budget allow.

Also on George Street, some mechanical and safety upgrades are ongoing at the Sottile Theatre (44 George St.) through December 2026, including include exterior repairs and new HVAC units and attic catwalks.

Down the road at Grice Marine Lab (205 Fort Johnson Road), construction has begun on the interior and exterior renovations to the annex. The scope of this project includes ADA restrooms, structural stabilization, and fire and safety considerations. Along with mechanical, electrical and plumbing upfits, interior finishes in the labs, offices and housing will be updated, the siding will be completely replaced and a central HVAC system will be installed.  

Also off the beaten path, the envelope renovation project at CofC at WestEdge (176 Lockwood Blvd.) included exterior improvements like the replacement of all fenestrations, repairs/modifications to the synthetic stucco system.

Other projects include:

• Student Health Services (181 Calhoun St.) upgrades
• Wells Fargo Auditorium (Beatty Center) updates
• College Lodge (159 Calhoun St.) abatement
• Blacklock House (18 Bull St.) repairs through a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior Save America’s Treasures Program
• Harbor Walk West (360 Concord St.) engineering classroom upfits
• Center for Sustainable Development (207 Calhoun St.) renovation
• Silcox Center (24 George St.) first floor upgrades