Alexander House delayed for several months, admins report

The construction of Alexander House has been delayed for several months, according to administrators familiar with the project. This delay, caused by unforeseen issues during demolition, will displace student organizations that were promised office space in Alexander House and that must still move out of their offices in Jacobus Hall, the current student center.

Alexander House, which is intended to serve as an interim student center until the new University Center is complete in August of 2021, is a facility and ongoing project north of Humphreys Hall. The facility will have storage space for student organizations, be the new home for the Office of Undergraduate Student Life, and have offices for several student organizations. Specifically, it will house The Stute, WCPR, The Link, The Honor Board, and The Student Government Association.

The renovation of Alexander House was originally slated to finish over this upcoming winter break, with the hope that Student Life and student organizations could move into this renovated facility in early January of 2019, according to an article published in The Stute in September.

So far, at least 75% of the interior demolition is complete, according to Lisa DeMarco, the senior project manager. “Exterior demolition and structural work related to the two new egress stairways are underway,” DeMarco added. “Structural work related to the new elevator is also in progress. Underground utility work is complete. The Contractor has also started installing plumbing and electrical piping and wiring throughout the facility.”

But due to “several unforeseen structural and infrastructure issues that must be addressed,” DeMarco said, the completion date of Alexander House has been pushed back. Alexander House is anticipated to be ready around March, according to Sara Klein, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs.

While Alexander House continues construction, Student Life will remain on the 10th floor of the Howe Center. However, student organizations with either storage or office space will not remain in Jacobus Hall, for it must still be vacated in preparation for the new University Center and student housing project that will replace Jacobus and Hayden Halls.

Student organizations that use Jacobus Hall just as storage space will “experience turbulence as the Office of Student Affairs and Office of Undergraduate Student Life find where and how to store the materials they will be taking with them from Jacobus to Alexander House,” said Dakota Van Deursen, the SGA’s Vice President for Student Interests, who directly oversees all recognized student organizations on campus.

The Honor Board, the SGA, The Link, The Stute, and WCPR “will be most affected [by the delay], as they are the organizations which have been promised [office] space on the third floor of Alexander House,” Van Deursen told The Stute in an email. “These organizations currently have the largest question mark hovering over their heads” in regard to where they will be temporarily relocated.

The Stute, which regularly uses its office space for students to write articles and layout its weekly newspaper, is still unsure where it will be relocated. “We don’t know where we are being relocated, all I know is that it is being worked on,” said Maryia Spirydonava, Editor-in-Chief of The Stute. “It does worry me that we have no idea where we are going to be. The Stute printed during both world wars, I hope that this move doesn’t stop us.”

The Division of Student Affairs is currently determining what temporary space is needed during the time between the move out of Jacobus Hall and the anticipated March opening of Alexander House. “We are partnering with the Physical Plant team to locate appropriate space on campus, and to allocate space as is needed and appropriate,” Klein told The Stute in an email. “We greatly appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we work through the needs of each group.”

The Jacobus Hall move-out process is expected to start on November 14 with an event hosted by the Student Government Association called the “Jacobus Purge.” At the Jacobus Purge, with few exceptions, all materials in storage in Jacobus Hall will be brought to the Jacobus Lounge and sorted into two piles: one to take to Alexander House and one to discard. Materials that are not discarded will be sent into storage.

On December 12 and 13, during finals period, the SGA will hold “Storage Wars: Jacobus Edition,” which will require student organizations to box up any remaining materials for temporary storage. This will be the final preparation for moving out of Jacobus for good.

The Division of Student Affairs and the Division of Facilities and Campus Operations are still reevaluating the timeline of Alexander House and expect to have more information regarding displaced student organizations soon.