Groundbreaking Ceremony Celebrates Start of Construction for University Terrace
A groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, April 16, celebrated the start of construction for Fairmont State University’s new housing project, University Terrace.
The ceremony took place at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, April 16, in the parking lot below the Practice Field on the Squibb Wilson Boulevard side of FSU’s main campus. Students, faculty, staff and the community were invited to attend.
Members of the Fairmont State Board of Governors, FSU President Maria Rose, Fairmont City Manager Jay Rogers and representatives of the project design team and general contractor participated in the symbolic groundbreaking.
“We are very excited for this new housing option for our students here at Fairmont State University. Not only do students realize their educational goals and aspirations here at Fairmont State, the University is also their home and we want them to feel a real sense of family and community here. This new housing option will help to strengthen those ties to the University,” said FSU President Maria Rose.
With a target opening date of fall 2016, the three-building residence facility will include 345 beds, more than doubling the capacity of the current College Park Apartments. The estimated cost will be about $30 million to construct and equip the new housing. University Terrace will include single apartments with kitchens, double apartments with kitchens, quads with kitchens and semi-suites with a shared bath. Buildings 1 and 2 will be connected by a glassed common area, building 3 will be freestanding.
All rooms will be furnished by the University. There will be wi-fi throughout the buildings. Community space for socializing and studying will be emphasized. There may possibly be a “grab and go” type food service. There will be a courtyard area with a small amphitheater.
The current College Park Apartments, built in the 1960s, were purchased by FSU in 2002. The apartments will be phased out, torn down and replaced with parking, as construction progresses on University Terrace.
“University Terrace is going to be a very pleasant place for students to live, a great addition to our other campus residence halls. The more engaged students are on campus, the greater the likelihood that they will be academically successful, which is the ultimate goal for all we do,” said Vice President for Student Services Kaye Widney.
The project design team includes McKinley & Associates, AECOM and Triad Engineering, Inc. McKinley & Associates is a full-service architectural and engineering firm headquartered in Wheeling and Charleston. Since 1981, they have designed educational, commercial/retail, warehouse, industrial, governmental and institutional buildings and also have completed historic preservation work. Based in Los Angeles, AECOM is a premier, fully integrated professional and technical services firm positioned to design, build, finance and operate infrastructure assets around the world for public- and private-sector clients. With offices in West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Ohio, Triad Engineering, Inc. is a multi-disciplinary consulting firm providing geotechnical and civil engineering, environmental services, land surveying, construction testing and monitoring, drilling and construction materials laboratory services to a wide range of clients.
“McKinley & Associates is proud to have been hired as the architect for the new University Terrace on the campus of Fairmont State University,” said Thom Worlledge, AIA, Project Manager. “As an alumnus of FSU, I am personally excited to be involved with this project. Our firm believes one of the reasons we were selected to design this project is our desire to create a community, not just a building. College life is memorable because of the bonds formed among students. We wanted to create a building that is not only a place to stay, but also encourages student interaction.”
Massaro Corporation of Pittsburgh is the general contractor for the project. Since 1967, Massaro has forged relationships with clients in a vast array of industries, including higher education, healthcare, non-profit, religious, hospitality and recreation.
About the photo:
In the front row from left to right are Kelly Humphreys, FSU BOG member; Holly Fluharty, FSU BOG member; Aaron Hawkins, FSU BOG member; Frank Washenitz, FSU BOG member; FSU President Maria Rose; FSU BOG Chairman Ron Tucker; Bryan Towns, FSU BOG member; John Schirripa, FSU BOG member; John Myers, FSU BOG member; and Dixie Yann, FSU BOG member. In the back row from left to right are Mitch Moore, Student Government President; Ernie Dellatorre of McKinley and Associates; Thom Worlledge of McKinley and Associates; Chris Shrodes of AECOMM; Joseph Tavella of Massaro Corporation; Fairmont City Manager Jay Rogers; and Bob Mild, FSU BOG member.
University Terrace GroundbreakingOffice of Residence LifeCollege Park ApartmentsMaria RoseFSU Board of Governors
