PRINCETON

BUILDS

Construction Quarterly Newsletter

Fall 2024

As we all settle back into the routines of the new academic year, construction on campus is settling into a new phase. Major progress has been made on capital and summer projects.

Newly reopened this fall is Poe and Pardee Fields and Prospect House. The new Class of 1986 Fitness and Wellness center is open as Dillon Gym renovations advance. The Meadows Neighborhood is teeming with energy. The new Racquet and Recreation Center is slated to open later this semester.

Construction fence lines will begin to change as exterior work is completed on Frist Health Center and the Art Museum, both of which will open next year.

In this issue you will get an overview of work completed this summer, updates on construction, ways to stay informed about changes, and how to get around campus. We also feature some of our sustainability efforts.

See some of the progress in action in the most recent Princeton Builds video!

HISTORIC GROWTH ON CAMPUS

COMPLETED PROJECTS

CLASS OF 1986 FITNESS AND WELLNESS CENTER

The new Class of 1986 Fitness and Wellness center opened in September. The more than 40,000 square-foot addition project complements the historic Dillon Gym, and includes Tower Plaza, an accessible pedestrian entrance and lobby off Elm Drive, and a two-story Wellness Pavilion.

The opening of the Center completes phase two of the project. Phase three of the renovations, slated to open in Fall 2025, will include renovations to the Stephens Fitness Center Annex and a new outside basketball court. Phase one of the project, which opened in early 2024, introduced significant updates to the DeNunzio Pool and Dillon Gym fitness areas.

POE AND PARDEE FIELDS

Poe and Pardee Fields were restored to lush green open space and intramural space on September 3. The 15-month project included drilling 357 geo-exchange bores and installing multiple stormwater management strategies including an underground infiltration system, porous pavement and additional field drainage.

PROSPECT HOUSE

Prospect House reopened on September 3. The renovations made the historic building more functional, inviting, and inclusive. A central campus gathering spot, the spaces is now accessible on all levels and includes accessible restrooms, thresholds and door handles.

Someone forward you this email?

Subscribe to the Construction Quarterly for periodic updates about the historic growth on campus

SUMMER PROJECTS

While our campus is never empty, summer provides Facilities an opportunity to perform major maintenance projects, building renovations and infrastructure work with less impact to our community. Here's a highlight of work that was completed this summer, with the full list of projects available online.

FRIST HOT WATER BUILDING CONVERSION & PIPING INSTALLATION

Princeton is undergoing a massive energy transformation with the conversion from a steam heat system to a hot water and geo-exchange system. Every existing building on campus must be converted and tied into the new system.

This summer, the Frist Campus Center was converted to use hot water and connected to larger hot water distribution system. As more buildings are converted from steam to hot water and we replace our century old steam pipes throughout campus with hot water pipes we get closer to net-zero carbon emissions.

Learn more about the change to heat pumps and geo-exchange in a new animated video from the Office of Sustainability.

OTHER SUMMER PROJECTS

Forbes College dining hall received new furniture. The Forbes Annex restrooms were also renovated.
Fine Hall had its entry vestibules replaced to make them more accessible.
Blair and Byers Hall had their exterior stonework repaired and refreshed while also receiving AV updates to some classroom spaces.

PROJECT UPDATES

ART MUSEUM

While work on the interior of the Art Museum will continue in preparations for a 2025 opening, you will begin to see the construction fence line shrink, opening exterior pathways around the Art Museum as hardscaping and landscaping complete. The pathway between the Prospect House gardens and the Art Museum will restore additional east-west connections.

ES + SEAS

Exterior façade work on much of the building is nearing completion as the interior finishing continues. Work to raise Roper Lane and re-align Ivy Lane & Western Way along with additional exterior sitework is underway.

HOBSON COLLEGE

Activities on site are shifting from demolition, geo-exchange drilling and utility installation to concrete foundation and structural steel installation. The buildings will start taking shape as foundations and structure begin coming out of the ground.

RACQUET CENTER

Finishing touches on the Racquet Center’s interior spaces, athletic surfaces and exterior hardscaping and landscaping are ongoing for an opening this fall.

SOFTBALL

Construction on the softball field and stands is nearing completion and scheduled to open this fall.

FRIST HEALTH CENTER

Interior fit out of Frist Health Center continues in preparation for move-in and anticipated opening the beginning of 2025. Pathways around Frist Health Center will begin to open new connections from Goheen walk heading towards Frist Campus Center.

ELM DRIVE WOODS RESTORATION

The Elm Drive Woods, one of the oldest areas of minimally-disturbed natural habitats on campus, is undergoing a multi-year forest floor restoration. The phased project will include invasive species removal, native re-planting and on-going monitoring.

This project aims to restore and enhance the ecological ability of this natural habitat that has suffered from excessive deer browsing, erosion, storm damage and the introduction of invasive species over time.

Learn more about the project on the Facilities website.

PRINCETON LAUNCHES DIGITAL ACCESS GUIDES FOR MORE THAN 200 BUILDINGS

To help ensure people with all abilities can thrive on campus, Princeton has launched an innovative digital guide that provides physical accessibility information for over 200 University buildings.

The Princeton Accessibility Guides feature nearly every building on campus, including academic and administrative buildings, parking and athletic facilities, and residential colleges.

PRINCETON BUILDS

SUSTAINABILITY

at the heart of it all

NEW VIDEO: HEAT PUMPS & GEO-EXCHANGE

As part of Princeton University’s goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2046, Facilities is advancing the use of geo-exchange and heat pump technology. Learn how in this new video produced by the Office of Sustainability.

ReSale Recap

After diverting 42,761 pounds of items from the landfill during Greening Move Out, The Office of Sustainability hosted their ReSale. The annual event sells the items collected during Move Out to incoming students at a deep discount.

This year, 514 students attended the ReSale, a 14% increase in attendance from last year. Of the items collected in the spring, 91% were sold this fall. The remaining items were donated to Goodwill.