Heard Around Campus — September

We’re only in the second week of the new 2016-17 academic year, but already there is a ton of activity around campus. Here’s what you need to know about what happened this past month and what’s on the horizon. 

#Drexel125

In case you haven’t heard, it’s Drexel’s 125th anniversary of its 1891 founding and we are doing everything we can to celebrate #Drexel125! Get the details behind Drexel’s yearlong 125th anniversary party and check out this special 125th anniversary website to learn more about Drexel’s time capsule, a timeline of 125 important Drexel moments and upcoming events.

Drexel’s history and the fact that this academic year is one for the ages were covered at this year’s Convocation. Missed the event? Here’s the DrexelNow recap describing the speakers and the speeches.

Performance Reviews and Compliance Training 

By this time, you’ve probably heard about the deadlines for completing your performance review and compliance training.

2016 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report

Drexel’s Department of Public Safety recently released its 2016 annual Security and Fire Safety Report, also known as the Clery Act Report, which provides statistics for the previous three years of reported crimes that have occurred on and around campus.

Fall Construction Updates

Current projects:

1427 Vine St.: Project is complete. A ribbon cutting took place on Sept. 20.

3101 Market St.: Renovation for the relocation of engineering laboratories and electrical and computer engineering laboratories from the third floor of Bossone Research Enterprise Center and for the expansion of the College of Engineering’s research capacities is underway. Designs have been completed for offices for the A.J. Drexel Institute for Energy and the Environment, a social sciences lab and a geographic information systems lab. Construction is expected to be complete this winter. Occupancy anticipated in early 2017.

Bossone Research Enterprise Center Renovations: Fifth-floor laboratories with new chemical fume hoods are complete. Construction is underway for repurposing the sixth floor for biomedical engineering. Occupancy anticipated in early 2017.

Center for Automation Technology (CAT): Infrastructure improvements needed to support new wet research laboratories for the Department of Chemistry, as well as the environmental engineering component of the Institute for Energy and the Environment laboratories, are in progress. Construction documents are completed and construction will take place in multiple phases over three fiscal years. Phase one — the basement demolition and construction of the floor with associated infrastructure —began in early June 2016. Substantial completion is expected in December.

Daskalakis Athletic Center (DAC) Renovations: Construction is underway for phases five and six Phase five renovations on the basketball court level involve adding new bathrooms, offices, ticket booth, conference room, storage rooms and audio/visual room for TV. Phase six is the installation of a new air conditioning system for the arena. Substantial completion is scheduled for Sept. 30, 2016.                                                                                                                

Fox Historic Costume Collection (URBN Center): The expansion of the Fox Historic Costume Collection is currently in the schematic design and cost-estimating phase. Atkin Olshin Schade is the architect for this project, made possible by a generous gift from Penny and Robert Fox.

Korman Center/Korman Quad Enhancements: Gluckman Tang is the architect for an addition to the existing Korman Center building that will add much needed student common space, while updating the building’s appearance to align more closely with the quality of the newer buildings on the Quad. Renovations to the Quad, to be named the “Korman Quadrangle,” will integrate it with the existing Perelman Plaza to revitalize this core thoroughfare. The project, funded by a generous $8 million gift from the Hyman Korman Family Foundation with a University match, is expected to be complete in fall 2017. Groundbreaking took place in June and construction of the enabling phases is near completion.  The front entrance to the building will be closed in October as construction moves into full swing on the addition.

Public Realm Plan: Urban design and landscape architecture firm West 8 is completing the overview of a Public Realm Plan for the University. Goals for the plan include making our campus more positively urban and people-friendly and providing a framework for future development that facilitates connections to the city, to adjacent neighborhoods and among various campus precincts. Phase two of the plan has begun, with completion expected in September. An open house to solicit feedback from the University community was held in May and the design team is working to incorporate feedback.

Raymond G. Perelman Center for Jewish Life: Construction is in progress. Substantial completion is scheduled for Sept. 30.

Stein Auditorium Renovation (Nesbitt Hall): Renovations are complete to make the auditorium fully ADA-accessible with the addition of a ramp to access the stage, new auditorium seating with larger tablet arms and other cosmetic upgrades including lighting.                                                                                                                             

Thomas R. Kline Institute for Trial Advocacy at the Kline School of Law: The renovation of 1200 Chestnut St. for the Thomas R. Kline Institute for Trial Advocacy is in progress, with substantial completion targeted for spring 2017.

Third-Party Project Updates

Childcare Mixed-Use/Residential Development (Radnor Property Group): Construction is underway on the development of Vue32, a new 16-story mixed-use residential and childcare development at 3201 Race St. Nobel Learning Communities will be the operator of the 180-person preschool facility. The childcare/residential tower will total 176,000 square feet. The project also involves the development of 12 owner-occupied townhomes totaling 13,200 square feet. Radnor Property Group is developing the project under a ground lease agreement with Drexel (similar to the third-party developments by American Campus Communities), at no cost to the University.

The Study Hotel at University City (Hospitality 3): Construction is in progress at 33rd and Chestnut streets for Hospitality 3’s 212-room boutique hotel. Substantial completion is expected in December.

University City High School Site (Drexel-Wexford Science & Technology Joint Venture): Temporary parking lots have been installed along 38th Street. Infrastructure work began in January and is in progress.

Visit the Drexel Master Plan blog for additional project updates and images from Vice President for University Facilities and Real Estate Bob Francis.