BY NATALIE HERNANDEZ // Tatem Arts Center will be undergoing a renovation the day after graduation. “I’m very excited. The
building is in dire need of a renovation,” said Vice-President of Finance & Treasurer Charles Mann. Since Tatem was built in the 1960’s it has not been remodeled Mann shared.
Tatem lacks handicap accessibility and doesn’t meet fire code and safety regulations. “I think it’s very overdue,” said Dr. Genevieve Gessert, assistant professor of art and archeology, who teaches in the building. “The building needs a lot of updating. It’s not compliant with disabled students and visitors. There are basic needs that the renovation will
bring.”
The third floor of Tatem is mostly inaccessible with restricted areas because it houses the closed-off large HVAC mechanical systems. “Around those mechanical systems there are no fire retardant materials, so if one of those mechanical systems malfunctioned and
had a fire there is nothing that will keep it out of the classrooms [classrooms that no longer exist on the third floor for that reason.],” said Prof. Joyce Michaud, assistant professor of art. Michaud calls the third floor wasted space and calls antiquated mechanical and heating systems a hazard.
Tatem will also be undergoing the renovation because it has a lot of wasted space. Gessert specifically called Price
Auditorium a waste of space. She said, “Unfortunately the core of this building [Price Auditorium] cannot be used.”
Price Auditorium will be stripped down, cleaned of asbestos and repurposed into classrooms. A new addition will
be built to the Martha E. Church Drive side of Tatem filling in the U shape of the building to install an elevator. Four new classrooms, an elevator that can be accessed from the outside like Coblentz Memorial Hall, more offices, a new
HVAC system, a sprinkler and fire alarm system and two new front entrances are a few impending add-ons to Tatem.
“We are going to add a new fire alarm and sprinkler system and then to make it look nice we are going to add
some carpet and paint to all the offices and classrooms,” said Director of Facilities, John Wichser.
And Dr. Gessert is most excited for the added space. “I think it’s good, for the archeology department in
particular, there will be an archeology lab incorporated in the renovation,” she said.
In addition, the all-too-familiar signs on the Tatem front doors that read “please don’t open these doors because
the wind will knock the art work over” will be gone. “We will remove the side doors and build a vestibule… kind of like the library,” said Wichser. The vestibule will be added to the front and new back entrances of Tatem.
And though Price Auditorium is being taken away, Mann and Gessert don’t believe it will negatively affect any
department, not even the theater program. “I don’t think anyone will miss Price,” Mann said, “It hasn’t been used for classrooms
in years.” “It [Price] doesn’t have a backstage. It goes directly to the outside, so it can’t be used for theatrical productions,” Gessert said.
The current theater the Avalon Performing Arts Studio, the performance room that contains the black box theater, found in the lower level of Tatem will be having a facelift. “They’re giving the [black box] theater a dressing room and a bathroom backstage so that if anyone needs to go to bathroom without going out into the hall with costume they can,” Michaud said. “The black box
will be also receiving a ticket office,” Wichser said.
Though the renovation is needed for Tatem, it will take time and cause a couple changes. For example, Mann said, “All classes in the summer will be held in other buildings.”
And Gessert said, “In short term it will be very disruptive, we do a lot of teaching in this department during the
summer time, in the studio art program in particular… I think in the long term… there have been a lot of changes in the curriculum, so our department is in a very transitional phase. So to have this change come right now to the infrastructure is also kind of disruptive.”
However, the people in charge of the project are trying to keep the uprooting and disruption to a minimum and only when necessary. Wichser said, “We’re hoping to do a little bit of work on this addition during the school year and inside this old auditorium space, and
we’re hoping that they can get to the point to set studs, hang sheet rock and that kind of thing then. Instead of the jack hammering, that can affect the class outside of this space.”
And though the renovation seems so far away with a scheduled completion date of August 2015 and the majority of
the work not starting until after this semester, the planning process is well underway. “We’re actually in process of interviewing four finalists for general contractor,” said Wichser. “We’ll know by Friday who the final contractor will be.” He said, “We have an architect on board who has done all the design work.”
Mann said that the college received a capital grant from the state for $ 2.5 million, a committed fund from a donor
of $2 million, and already has in its capital budget around $500,000 for all the renovations. And Wichser said $300,000 will be spent on architecture and engineering and $ 5.2 million on construction.
Most of the budget and changes will be given to Tatem, but the Hodson Science and Technology Center will also
undergo remodeling and a smaller portion of the same budget will be allotted for its funding. Hodson’s unoccupied north and south wings will be receiving upgrades for the costal studies, computer science, GSI, and nursing programs.
“The reason why I bring this in is, because we combine both projects into one project, so we have one contractor to
reduce our cost overall,” Mann said.
