Photo gallery Campus under construction this summer
An abundance of cranes and construction sites are reshaping parts of campus this summer, as part of a building boom. Construction projects are at the Chemistry Building, the new Hamel Music Center, the Nicholas Recreation Center, Babcock Hall, and elsewhere. In addition, part of Bascom Hill is being dug up to update the utilities underneath it.
The Nicholas Recreation Center, known as "The Nick," is taking shape and is expected to be completed in 2020.
The 170,145-square-foot Nicholas Recreation Center will have 8 basketball courts, 5 fitness studios and an Olympic-size swimming pool.
The new Hamel Music Center will contain a large-ensemble rehearsal hall that will also be used for pre- and post-concert educational talks, events and receptions. The Mead Witter Concert Hall will have a capacity of 670 and Collins Recital Hall of 315. Features of the new building will include a glass-walled lobby, clerestory windows in the recital hall, and a glassed-in corner of the rehearsal hall to usher in light and allow passersby to see ongoing rehearsals. It's scheduled for completion later this year.
The four-year Chemistry Building expansion project will be completed in two phases, with renovations slated to finish by early 2022. The $133 million tower and other renovations will update teaching and laboratory spaces to accommodate the next generation of chemical education and research.