DURHAM – It isn’t hard to notice an uptick in heavy equipment, fenced off areas and general noisiness across the University of New Hampshire campus.
In the pre-COVID world, the UNH Facilities Division aimed to complete most of its construction projects during the summer while students were away from school, according to Mark Guther, director of facilities project management. But since 2020, supply chain issues have upended timelines, setting a myriad of projects back and making it difficult to finish them on time, he said.
This helps explain why so many projects were pushed into the school year. With a $40 million budget, Facilities is currently directing 115 projects, ranging from wholesale building renovations to pipe patch ups.
Here is a brief overview of the highest profile construction areas throughout campus.
New Hampshire Hall
Along Main St. in front of the Whittemore Center, New Hampshire Hall is under construction to replace the windows on the front of the building. Because of water infiltration issues, the hall is also getting a complete drainage overhaul. There will soon be complete waterproofing throughout the whole building. The project costs around $1.6 million and is scheduled to be completed in mid-November.
Heat and Hot Water Pipes
Heat and hot water replacement is happening on the sidewalks of Lord Hall, McLaughlin Hall, Jessie Doe Hall and Stillings Hall. Most of it is complete already, and it will be fully cleared next month.
Spaulding Hall
Spaulding Hall is being expanded and renovated as a Biological Science initiative. This is the largest construction project in UNH history, according to Guther, and has a price tag of $95.5 million. Guther stated that the original hall is now being “gutted and renovated” and is scheduled to open in the spring of 2024. This update of the 1960s hall will give students state of the art labs and facilities, said Guther.
Honors College
What was formerly Huddleston Hall is undergoing renovations to become the home of the Hamel Honors College after a $20 million donation from UNH alum Dana Hamel last spring. The interior of the building is being revamped, and there will also be several new additions, most notably a glass-paned attachment on the building’s western side. Gunther also said there will be more accessible infrastructure, including increased amounts of ramps and elevators. This project is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2024.
Hetzel
Hetzel residence hall is being renovated to hold 140 beds for more students to attend UNH. This is a $26 million project and is scheduled to be completed in 2024.
