Highlights from College of Charleston Facilities Management
Facilities Management has had a busy few months. Check out what they've been up to, and what projects are next on their list!
Above: Ongoing construction at Buist Rivers Residence Hall.
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, who – after serving as a senior project manager for Facilities Management for five years – took over as the new vice president of Facilities Management in July. “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.”
For example, HVAC equipment replacements or upgrades were made at the following in the Silcox Center, the Johnson Center, Liberty St. Fresh Food Co., the Education Center, the Lightsey Center, Chick-fil-A and the J.C. Long Building. Porch repairs/paint refreshes were made at 28 and 38 Coming Street; roof upgrades were made at 2, 4, 6 and 8 Bull Street; and access control systems have been installed at the historic house student residences.
In addition to wrapping up exterior renovations at the Center for Sustainable Development (207 Calhoun St.) and refreshing several classrooms in the Education Center, Facilities Management tackled multiple other ongoing projects over the summer. Below are just a few more highlights:
Liberty Street Fresh Food Co.: Interior upgrades were made to the food work stations, equipment and signage; fresh tile work was laid for several walls and new TV monitors are coming soon.
Craig Hall/Craig Union: The residence life space on the second and third floors was renovated over the summer. A fire sprinkler system was installed and the fire alarm system was upgraded. In addition, the fan coil air conditioning units in each room were replaced, as was the laundry room dryer exhaust system. Two dedicated outside air systems were added on the roof. Downstairs in Craig Union, the demolition of the catering kitchen began, with completion on schedule for December 2024.
Buist Rivers Residence Hall: Seven new suites are being added to the first floor, the outdoor space is being updated and the student programming and bathroom spaces are getting all-new finishes. In addition to repairs to the exterior, the building is also getting a new roof and new plumbing.
Berry Residence Hall: The lobby of the residence hall was up-fitted, and the Honors College space on the first floor is being renovated for classrooms, student space and offices. The demolition and new layout are complete, and the mechanical, plumbing and electrical rough ins are underway. The space will remain under construction throughout the year. In addition, the building is getting a new roof and the exterior envelope and window repairs are in the works. The project is scheduled for completion in April 2025.
Beatty Center: Roof repairs were made and the caulking of the limestone was repointed to stop leaks. The windows on the third and fourth floors were replaced and resized to fix design failures on the original building that were causing leaks. The fourth-floor balcony will be repaired soon to fix other leak problems.
Addlestone Library: The library has gotten a new circulation suite with an expanded circulation desk, two work areas, staff offices, storage rooms and meeting rooms for both staff activities and student consultations. There is also a new entry desk at the Rivers Green entrance of the library. At the Starbucks, new equipment was installed and the interior doors to the library were removed for glass front windows.
New display cases have been constructed on the first floor of the Addlestone Library to display the collection previously housed in the John M. Rivers Communications Museum at 58 George Street (shown above). This has been a collaborative effort, with the library staff and a consultant curating the collection, producing narratives and organizing the relics.
Also at the Addlestone, two new pods have been added for students to use as podcast studios, new computers have been added to the Henry Brown Wing corral area, additional electrical services have been installed at tables and desks on the first floor, and student seating areas/corral configurations have been reorganized on multiple floors. Space on the second floor of the library has been converted into a new suite for the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
On the exterior of the Addlestone Library, repairs are being made to windows and the façade (including stucco and door repairs). The exterior renovations are near completion.
Other exciting projects coming up include the creation of the Edward J. Tuccio ’91 Student Success Center at 58 George Street, which is breaking ground on Nov. 15, 2024, and the restoration of the Revolutionary War–era powder magazine and cisterns at the Fort Johnson complex, funded by a $360,000 National Park Service grant.
Things aren’t slowing down any time soon!
