Commencement has come and gone, and most students have left campus. However, there is more to this seemingly quiet summer season than one might think. For many faculty and staff, the beginning of summer means the launch of big projects and the gradual checking-off of hefty to-do lists. For the Facilities Management team, summer is arguably the busiest time of year. With buildings largely emptied, they can renovate classrooms and offices, as well as living and social spaces.

The Chat Performance Area and parts of the indefatigable Boyer Hall have begun to be reconstructed, projects that began almost immediately after Commencement. What used to be The Chat Performance Area is now making way for conference space, a 90-seat lecture hall and an additional teaching and rehearsal space for the Theater Arts program. The existing Chat Game Room is being transformed into office space and a 40-seat classroom.

The University’s science headquarters, Boyer Hall, is seeing improvements take place on all four floors, with a number of offices, classrooms and labs being tabbed for redesign or creation. More than 9,000 square feet of existing building space will be reconstructed and repurposed for the sciences, giving the classic building an updated feel.

Taylor Hall, home to the University’s Education Department and the One Stop Shop, is also getting a makeover. The building’s second and third floors will see some reconfigured and upgraded hallways, offices and suites, with the goal of creating a more professional and warmer feel. The update includes new carpeting, sheetrocking and electrical and light fixtures, among other improvements.

The reconstruction of Easton Field is slated to kick off shortly, with a brand-new turf athletic field, lighting and field house. The state-of-the-art facility will allow the University to host nighttime contests for the first time. It will also allow for a new live web feed platform to broadcast games over the Internet and provide versatile meeting and gathering space under the roof of the new pavilion.

In addition, construction on the long-awaited parking structure at Oak Summit Apartments broke ground and is now well underway. The structure, a one-level parking deck, will add more than 80 parking spaces and solve many of the apartment residents’ parking woes. The deck is expected to be completed in early September, shortly after the natural influx of students returning to campus for the fall term.

Be sure to check back throughout the summer for more renovation and campus updates.