Rendering shows the college’s plans for the quad.
Courtesy | Tim Wells
Construction on the north quad will begin March 9, as the college breaks ground on the Diana Davis Spencer Graduate School of Education, according to Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé.
A fence will surround the construction site for at least two years, with an expected completion in March 2026, Péwé said.
“By the time students return from spring break, [the quad] will be fenced up to protect students, staff, faculty, and visitors from any construction,” Péwé said. “Everything south of the fountain for the most part will not be available.”
During construction, a gate at the south end of the library between Central and Delp halls will be closed at times to allow for deliveries by construction vehicles, Director of Facilities Dave Billington said in an all-campus email.
“Do not open the gate when it is closed,” Billington said. “Construction personnel will open the gate when it is safe to pass through.”
Senior Operations Manager Tim Wells added that even when deliveries occur, the plan is to get students across with minimal delays.
“The bulk of the excavation should happen in the next several months, which will be before students return at the end of August,” Wells said. “Construction activities, however, will continue throughout the duration of the project.”
The building will feature two stories with high ceilings, 17 faculty offices, a number of different sized classrooms with a total of 290 seats, and a big entry rotunda with a view of the quad.
“Even though we call it the masters of classical education building, or the Diana Spencer Building,” Péwé said, “it is still going to be utilized for the entire campus — undergraduates throughout the day, and then in the evening, it will mostly switch over to graduate classes.”
The Margaret Thatcher statue will remain in its current location, while the Ronald Reagan statue will be temporarily moved to the John Anthony Halter Shooting Sports Center, according to Péwé. After construction finishes, Reagan will be relocated to a more prominent spot on campus.
“For now we’re going to put him out there at Halter where he’s safe and seen and appreciated,” Péwé said.
But more construction could extend the quad’s closure, as the college hopes to add on to the library, construct a classical portico, and build a new welcome center once funding is available.
Wells added that keeping certain construction trades in Hillsdale and staggering the projects could maximize efficiency and would help to avoid disrupting the quad multiple times with construction activities.
But regardless of the length of the total project, Wells doesn’t expect classes to be disrupted.
“Central Hall and Strosacker should serve as a partial sound barrier, so the noise from construction should have a lessened effect on the classrooms,” Wells said.
Péwé said some student leaders met with the deans this week to discuss other possible green spaces for students to enjoy. The goal is to have new green spaces available by the start of the 2024-2025 school year.
“We’re looking at the East Lawn, and certainly, when we get the pavilion over the summer, [across from] Broadlawn,” he said. “That green space will be flattened out and irrigated. It’ll take a while for the grass to come in nicely, but that will be another space.”
The college is also considering adding fire pits, Adirondack chairs, and maybe even some new structures for students to enjoy during the years of construction on the quad.
“I will definitely miss the sunny afternoons out on the quad,” junior Michael Angelbeck said. “But I’m excited to see how other spaces will be developed and utilized after spring break.”
