September 13, 2011 12:27 am
Campus Construction Not Completed Yet
By Danielle Manos, Contributing Writer
In two years, Planning and Facilities plans to tear down the current Anne Arundel academic building and replace it with a new complex of four buildings, complete with a courtyard.
“The Anne Arundel complex is the last [project] to be done; it’s causing the other [projects] to be done.” said Chip Jackson, Associate Vice President of Planning and Facilities. In order to make space for the new Anne Arundel complex, Margaret Brent Hall, the former home of the Business Affairs office, must be moved to its new location across Route 5 next to the Campus Center. Once there, the building will be renovated into the new home of the department of Philosophy and Religious studies. The move was recently delayed from September 12th to the 13th due to predicted inclement weather.
In addition, a temporary gravel lot is proposed to be built in Mill Field next to the Campus Center. Later, it will become a permanent two hundred and thirty car parking lot.
Planning for the new Anne Arundel complex began around ten years ago. The complex will provide academic space for Anthropology, Museum Studies, and Language/Cultures, and will share facilities with Historic St. Mary’s.
“When considering how best to use that part of campus, the idea gelled around sharing with Historic…,” said Jackson. Jackson explained that many students on campus already work with Historic, so it seems fit for the two to come together. Thus the new building will have a modern archaeology lab and proper storage for artifacts found at Historic St. Mary’s.
As the Anne Arundel project comes to a close, Planning and Facilities is already starting a new project geared directly toward campus improvement. The new project will focus on campus study and meeting spaces.
