Buildings & Grounds Tackles Summer Projects
While much of the campus was quiet over the summer, the staff
from Buildings & Grounds was busy preparing the physical plant of
the College for the start of the new academic year. Under the
leadership of recently appointed Director of Facilities Sally Katz,
skilled tradespeople and groundskeepers worked hard to complete a
host of important projects before the students and faculty returned
in force.
Among the tasks undertaken during the break were the completion of
extensive renovations to three labs in McCook, an environmental
cleanup project in the basement of Hansen Hall, and the installation
of a new quarry tile floor in the kitchen of Ogilby Hall. B & G
personnel also tested every fire alarm and sprinkler on campus,
overhauled the boilers in preparation for the cold weather season,
and upgraded the cooling tower in the chiller plant. Staff members
in the access control division upgraded door locks in two
dormitories, replaced batteries in the rest of the dormitory locks,
and created floor plans with appropriate lock identifications. At
the same time, the grounds crew was busy pruning trees and
rebuilding the south patio entrance to North Campus dormitory in
addition to relocating offices all over campus and providing
assistance for numerous camps and other programs that make use of
the campus during the summer months. Of course, the jobs listed
above represent only a small portion of what the staff from B & G
accomplished.
“I have never seen facilities personnel who work with more
dedication than our staff,” says Katz, who has been in university
residence and facilities management since 1989. “Our people bleed
blue and gold. They are committed to Trinity College and take a
great deal of pride in the appearance and physical plant of our
campus.”
Katz came to Trinity after working at New York University, where she
held such positions as residence hall manager, director of
off-campus housing, and facilities manager. In that capacity she
oversaw the construction of a 468,000 square-foot facility that
included a 1,000-person residence hall and a sports complex complete
with a swimming pool and rock climbing wall. An archeology and art
history major as an undergraduate, Katz earned a master’s degree in
public administration from the University of Connecticut. She is one
of a small but growing number of women who hold director-level
positions in college and university facilities management.
“I like to be challenged,” she says. “I seek out difficult projects
because they’re usually run by smart people, which gives me an
opportunity to learn. I hate to be bored. I’m new here but I already
love the traditions that a place like Trinity has. I love being part
of it. This is a special place.”
Long Walk Construction Update
Much of the historic Long Walk has been fenced off and scaffolding
will soon be erected in order to allow workers to repair the garrets
and roofs of Seabury and Jarvis halls. It will be an arduous project
that will last at least through the current academic year. A
temporary walkway will be constructed in the grass to the east of
the Long Walk. Designed by famed English architect William Burges,
the brownstone buildings have slate roofs and dormers as well as
single-glazed, wrought-iron window casements. Cracks were discovered
in the fixtures and roofs, which date back to 1874 and are original
to the buildings, in the course of a summer restoration project at
the Jarvis and Seabury towers. President Jones has noted that we
must “take care of this prized asset as soon as possible.”
To offset the unavoidable inconveniences that will surely arise from
the loss of up to 50 parking spaces in Seabury and Jarvis lots
during the construction, Campus Safety has announced that additional
faculty and staff parking will be made available in the following
locations:
Summit A lot
Broad and Vernon lot
1283 Broad Street
Trinfo Café – both lots
Rear of 76 Vernon Street
Rear of 115 Allen Place
“We realize that this is a less than ideal situation as far as
parking is concerned,” explains Chris Lyons, associate director of
campus safety. “We’re confident, however, that members of the
Trinity community will make temporary adjustments so that we can get
though this with the least possible disruption for everyone.”
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