Larry Di Giovanni/Mount Vernon News
A large crane that recently appeared over Kenyon’s College’s West Quad project, with another crane to join it by mid-March, is a sign that the multi-million dollar project, including a new Kenyon Commons Library and two other buildings, is well on its way. Next to it is a temporary wall shielding the project from view, and to the right, Gund Gallery, a popular Kenyon venue for the arts.
GAMBIER — Within the past few weeks a large, tall crane has hovered high in the air behind the temporary wall where Kenyon College’s West Quad Project is being constructed, making slow swings to add more progress to three different buildings in the making. A second tall crane will join it in mid-March, a sure indication that the college’s ambitious project, if not hitting a new phase, is speeding along even during the harsh winter months.
“The crane will facilitate construction of all three buildings and is not related to any specific construction milestone,” said Mary Keister, Kenyon’s director of News Media Relations, on Friday. She added that the cranes are provided by All Crane from their Columbus location, a company subcontracting with the project’s main construction firm, Smoot.
Three large buildings will anchor the West Quad project, which is located near Gund Gallery, its large crane towering over that art venue. An anonymous gift of $75 million has made the project possible, also providing a major boost to the college’s $300 million “Our Path Forward” capital campaign being funded by donors.
High priority has been given to all projects, none more so than the Kenyon Commons Library project. Estimated for completion by July 2020, Keister said, the library will have six stories, two of which will be below grade. Its size will be 95,000 square feet.
The other two buildings that are part of the project are a new admissions and financial aid building, and an academic building. The academic building will house the history, sociology, and political science departments, as well as Kenyon’s highly active Center for the Study of American Democracy, Keister said.
The entire West Quad project is expected to be complete by December 2021. Kenyon provides its students, faculty and the public with access to project construction through a West Quad webcam, which can be viewed through the college website.
“In addition to these three core buildings, other projects nearby include the construction of two new buildings for the English Department (completed this fall) and the renovation of the existing Sunset Cottage, another building used by the English Department,” Keister offered.
Still another project under development is a planned underground parking garage. It will be two-and-a-half floors in depth and is to house about 100,000 square feet of space, she said. Its large size will accommodate 280 parking spaces.
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High priority has been given to all projects, none more so than the Kenyon Commons Library project. Estimated for completion by July 2020, Keister said, the library will have six stories, two of which will be below grade. Its size will be 95,000 square feet.
The other two buildings that are part of the project are a new admissions and financial aid building, and an academic building. The academic building will house the history, sociology, and political science departments, as well as Kenyon’s highly active Center for the Study of American Democracy, Keister said.
The entire West Quad project is expected to be complete by December 2021. Kenyon provides its students, faculty and the public with access to project construction through a West Quad webcam, which can be viewed through the college website.
“In addition to these three core buildings, other projects nearby include the construction of two new buildings for the English Department (completed this fall) and the renovation of the existing Sunset Cottage, another building used by the English Department,” Keister offered.
Still another project under development is a planned underground parking garage. It will be two-and-a-half floors in depth and is to house about 100,000 square feet of space, she said. Its large size will accommodate 280 parking spaces.
