The completion of the Gateway Academic Center has been delayed several weeks, according to a campus-wide email sent out by administrators, delaying classes that were expected to be in the new center at the start of the fall semester.
Delays to construction were unexpected but not unusual, wrote Robert Maffia, Vice President of Facilities and Campus Operations, in a statement. “This project went mostly according to plan,” he wrote. “Our biggest challenge was working with new proprietary materials, one example being the exterior slate, and finding qualified installers.”
Maffia added that another challenge was inclement weather. “In general, northern New Jersey has received more consist[ent] rainfall than in recent past years, interrupting the sequencing and momentum of progress.” Hoboken has received more rain lately. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that in the past year, Hoboken, NJ, has received 16 inches more rain than usual.
Because of the delayed construction, multiple classes were left out in the hallway, as classes were overbooked due to not enough classroom space.
The 9,000-square-foot Gateway Center will consist of a north and south building connected by a two story sky bridge. The north building will be the home of state-of-the-art collaborative spaces such as the TED stairs, on which students can enjoy lectures, presentations, or hang outs in a large and open area. Students will soon find new study spots either in a sky-lit atrium or the new cafe. The center will add 11 classrooms, 13 labs, and 45 faculty offices for use.
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