Saint Anselm College will build a new residence hall, fitness center and academic space in a $14 million construction and renovation program that will begin this spring, announced college President Father Jonathan DeFelice, O.S.B.
“It is my hope that these projects will significantly improve our academic initiatives, our residential life and our physical exercise opportunities,” said Father Jonathan. “They will all be very valuable additions to our campus and are in accord with needs identified through our master planning process.”
New Residence Hall(estimated cost $9.5 million)
The largest of these projects will be a new, 150-bed residence hall for sophomores. This facility will expand the residential options for undergraduates and is intended to eliminate the need for triples.
The residence hall, which will provide suite-style living with singles and doubles as well as common study and leisure spaces, is scheduled to be ready for occupancy in Fall 2009. The actual site of the new residence is still under consideration.
New Fitness Center in the Carr Center (estimated cost $2 million)
A new fitness center for the campus will be added to the south side of Carr Center, overlooking Sullivan Park and Grappone Stadium. This center, which will be open to the general Saint Anselm population, will provide state-of-the-art cardiovascular equipment, including treadmills, elliptical machines and Stairmasters, as well as weight machines and free weights. The current fitness center in Carr will be renovated to meet the needs of varsity athletes.
Renovation of the Joan of Arc Sisters Convent (estimated cost $2.5 million)
The Sisters of Joan of Arc will return this spring to their mother house in Quebec, after 80 years of devoted service to the college and the monastery. A monument commemorating their presence will soon be placed near the current convent.
The convent will be renovated to house faculty offices and instructional space, in keeping with the college’s academic plan “Teaching and Learning at Saint Anselm College: Enriching the Environment.”
The additional offices and seminar spaces are sorely needed as the college expands its faculty and maintains its small class size, both part of our continued commitment to academic excellence.
The Economics and Business Department, the History Department, and the Education Department will relocate to the building, where renovations are expected to be completed in October. A “trading room,” where business students can learn to use a Bloomberg machine for tracking financial markets, will also be located there.
This building, constructed in 1919 as the monastery for the Benedictine monks, became the convent of the Sisters of Saint Joan of Arc in 1955 when the current monastery was built. The Governing Board has approved naming the building Joseph House in honor of our confrere, Bishop Joseph J. Gerry, O.S.B., who was professor of philosophy, Dean of the College, Abbot, Chancellor and Bishop Emeritus of Portland, Maine. We will have a formal dedication ceremony when the renovation is completed.
College will cover the cost of these projects with a bond issue that will also refinance our existing debt at more favorable rates. The bond issue is expected to be completed May 1.