Construction and Renovation Updates

The Betty and Norman Levan Hall

In less than a month, Levan Hall, new home of the St. John’s College Graduate Institute will open its doors!

The seminar tables will arrive on Monday July 19 and will move into the seminar rooms at that time, as those rooms are receiving a final cleaning this weekend.  Office desks arrive around Monday July 26.  All furniture will be here and installed by Wednesday August 4. 

Also inside the building, the carpet is completely done, and there is some final touch-up painting taking place.  The oak treads for the stairs will be done within a few weeks, and card readers are currently being installed. 

Outside the building, the landscaping work is proceeding with the planter walls by Peterson being filled with dirt, and the steps on the west side of Levan near completion.  Irrigation systems are being installed so that plantings can go in towards the end of July.

The ramp from Weigle to Levan and Peterson is coming along very well, with the brick and concrete work expected to be complete by the end of July.  At that point, the area will be re-surveyed, the railings will be made, and by the end of August, the ramp should be open for use.  The ramp will be blocked off until the railings are installed.

The walkway from the pond placita to FAB will be open on August 13!

Behind Weigle, the grading and paving work, as well as the installation of a new drainage pipe, will begin on July 26, and will take three or four days.  Once the paving is set, the lot will re-open, perhaps in early August.

View of west side	Architect’s rendering of the completed Betty and Norman Levan Hall	View of Peterson from inside Levan
Winter view of front of Levan	Debris Bins for LEED	Work on the east Levan balcony

Levan Hall floor plans (Adobe PDF documents):

Lower level
Main level
Top floor

New Residential Center

Plans are still in the works to begin a new residential dorm area across from the current lower dorm area in June 2011.  However, in order to develop the structural design for the project, work known as “Geotechnical Engineering” began Monday July 12, 2010. This work has involved drilling test borings in the soil at the site of each building, so some trees were removed and access paths created across from the lower dorm area.  So far, the drilling has found solid granite, as well as water, both of which can be worked with. 

For this project, the college will need to provide an additional emergency access road, so holes will be drilled in the arroyo near the northeast edge of campus, downhill from the apartments.  This took place the morning of July 14.

Irrigation Work

Near the entrance to campus, new irrigation pipes are being installed to service the plantings along the road and sidewalk leading to the SAC driveway.  This project should be complete around July 21, with native plants being planted during the last week of July.  Note: a new automatic watering system is in use on the soccer field, and is working well.

Photos of Summer 2006 Hardscape Renovation and Fishpond Repair:

Fishpond Placita Facing the Bookstore	Upper Placita Outside ESL	Placitas and Pond with Working Waterfall

Click here for past construction updates

This page updated July 16, 2010.