Finally, the mound of dirt near the track that we’d all grown so fond of has begun to take the shape of the long-anticipated Kelley Administrative Center.
According to Campus Operations Director Ric Taylor, despite some delays in the construction thus far, the revised building schedule for the Adminstrative Center is on track.
“The schedule calls for the exterior of the building to be substantially complete in May, with occupants moving to the building throughout the summer as planned,” said Taylor.
The mound of dirt that was an eyesore for the majority of the fall and winter was actually dirt from the construction done on Fairfield Prep, and was put in the area of the Kelley Center while delays were sorted out.
Delays were due to many factors: the building plans were altered to include Residence Life and Student Support Services, the site was changed, and an “extended permitting process became necessary,” according to Taylor.
While the construction may be an inconvenience for students now, the function of the Kelley Center will be largely beneficial to the student body when it is available for use next fall.
It will be home to the Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Admissions, the Registrar, Bursar, Financial Aid, Residence Life, and Student Support Services.
“The building will provide ‘one-stop shopping’ for existing students and will serve as a welcome center for prospective students and their families,” Taylor said.
The process of approval and construction of the building has been a lengthy process, with preliminary plans for it beginning in 1995. The plans were then brought to the public hearing of Fairfield’s Town Planning Zoning Commission on March 29, 2005, and approved on April 12, according to a Mirror article from last December.
“I’m excited for the new building, but the construction starts so early! I hear them when I wake up for my 8 a.m. classes,” said Aimee Trainor ’08.
Although some students might be put off by the early-morning banging – construction workers’ hours are about 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – campus construction is by and large a positive and healthy sign.
Another benefit that the building will provide is an additional 140 parking spots for an extremely cramped campus.
Although the new parking lot will be utilized mainly by the administration working in the building, students hope that it will ease the parking pressures on campus.
“The best part of the new building will hopefully mean an easier time parking on campus – right now it’s a huge pain,” said Marc Amadeo ’07.
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