Some building projects move forward
BY KATHLEEN J. SULLIVAN
The Board of Trustees recently gave construction approval to a $22 million makeover of Crothers Hall and Crothers Memorial Hall, neighboring dormitories that will reopen in September with new lounges, bigger bathrooms and a wireless Internet network.
It was one of five building projects trustees acted on during their Feb. 9-10 meeting.
Renovation already has begun on the Crothers complex, a pair of three-story, clay-tile-roofed residences built about six decades ago. The concrete and stucco residences, built around a landscaped courtyard, are located on the central campus, near Meyer and Green libraries.
Under the project, crews will upgrade the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems in the buildings, and improve the ability of Crothers Hall to withstand an earthquake. In addition, crews will build a new, self-contained apartment for a resident fellow, and two guest rooms.
As part of the renovation, the Mark Taper Law Student Center, which is located between the two buildings at the end of Escondido Road, will become the administrative center for the residence, which will be known as Crothers Hall.
Formerly a graduate student dormitory, Crothers will reopen as an undergraduate residence housing 376 sophomores, juniors and seniors. (Most of its former residents, who moved out last December, are now living in the new Munger Graduate Residence.)
The renovation project is part of the university's Housing Master Plan, whose goal is to reduce crowding and provide better housing—roomier quarters and more privacy—for students as they progress through Stanford.
Law School Academic BuildingTrustees gave project approval—the third step in the approval process—to a new building for the Law School that will provide academic space for faculty, fellows and researchers; a home for the Mills Legal Clinic; and offices for the school's entire faculty.
The $70.6 million project, including $67 million for the new office and clinic building, received concept and site approval in 2007 and design approval in 2008.
To make way for the new three-story building, Kresge Auditorium will be razed. The demolition is expected to begin after Commencement Weekend in June. An auditorium planned as part of the new Knight Management Center campus of the Graduate School of Business will replace both Kresge and the Business School's Bishop Auditorium.
The Law School project is expected to return to trustees for construction approval in June.
Stanford Avenue Faculty HomesTrustees gave project approval to a proposal to build 39 single-family detached homes for faculty on the eastern edge of campus on Stanford Avenue, near the College Terrace neighborhood of Palo Alto.
The project, whose total cost is expected to be $30.9 million ($2.5 million less than previous estimates), received concept and site approval in 2007, and design approval in 2008. Crews are expected to begin building a new storm drain system on the site in April. Home construction can begin when the storm drain system is completed in September.
The faculty homes, which will range in size from 1,800 to 2,400 square feet, will have three or four bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and a private office. Construction will occur in two phases on a rolling production schedule. The first homes are expected to be completed in the fall of 2010. All of the homes are expected to be completed in the spring of 2011.
The project is expected to return to trustees for construction approval in June.
Automotive Innovation FacilityTrustees gave project and construction approval—the final steps in the approval process—to a one-story, metal-frame building where research ideas can be tested in vehicles.
The $4 million Automotive Innovation Facility will be on Oak Road on the far west side of campus. The facility will include seven work bays and a seminar room. Exterior spaces will include patios, bicycle parking and a small test track for the experimental vehicles.
The facility is expected to be completed by September.
Knight Management CenterTrustees gave partial construction approval to the core and shell package of the Knight Management Center, the future campus of the Graduate School of Business.
The new campus, now under construction on a 12-acre site between the Schwab Residential Center and Maples Pavilion, will be composed of a series of small buildings situated around four courtyards and connected by open arcades.
It will include a 600-seat auditorium, a dining pavilion, a student center with a library and lounge, a faculty office building and classrooms.
In January, construction crews began pouring cement for the foundation of the center's underground parking garage. Webcam views of the construction site, which is surrounded by black fencing, can be found on the Business School's website.
The total budget for the new campus was revised to $374.3 million, reflecting a $3.3 million decrease related to a drop in construction costs.
Final construction approval for interior fit-ups is anticipated for June 2009. Substantial completion of the new campus is anticipated by March 2011.
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