Late Summer Update on Campus Construction Projects

By Brian Laubscher
August 29, 2024

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Washington and Lee University continues to make progress on several campus construction projects in support of the campus master plan that was approved by the Board of Trustees in October 2021.

Below is an update on the progress of various projects around campus entering the Fall Term 2024.

Dining Venue Renovations - John W. Elrod Commons
Renovations to the Elrod Commons dining venues are nearing completion. The first phase, which involved extensive renovations and updates to the Café 77 and Marketplace food service areas, was completed in August 2023. The second phase, which involved expanding the Marketplace dining room, creating additional outdoor terrace seating for Café 77 and reconfiguring the Cohen Family Amphitheater, began in October 2023 and is nearing completion.

The university received the certificate of occupancy for the Marketplace extension on Aug. 9, new furniture was installed shortly thereafter, and the facility officially opened to the public on Aug. 15. In addition to expanded seating and new furniture, the new space also includes a micro-farm unit where sustainable microgreens will be grown.

The exterior features of this project, including the amphitheater makeover and the expanded outdoor terrace, are undergoing their final finishes and will be completed in the coming weeks. The terrace will receive delivery of new outdoor furniture shortly and the space will be introduced with a grand opening on Aug. 30 with an ice cream social for the campus community.

New Williams School Building
Construction of the new Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics building remains on schedule. The exterior form of the building is taking shape, with the roof completed and exterior wall and sheathing being installed. The front of the building now provides an excellent view of the three-story atrium that frames the center of the impressive structure. On the inside, the concrete-on-metal deck flooring is in place, while rough-in of mechanical and electrical systems are progressing. Current construction also includes the installation of metal door frames throughout the structure. The new Williams School is expected to be completed in advance of Fall Term 2025.

Lindley Center for Student Wellness
Construction on the new Lindley Center for Student Wellness began the first week of April with extensive site preparation. East Denny Circle was closed over the summer to facilitate installation of underground utilities, and the route has returned to normal service as law and undergraduate students have arrived on campus for fall classes. Work on the building has included the pouring of its concrete foundations and walls, as well as the new masonry elevator shaft. Structural steel is expected to be delivered by the end of August and erected soon thereafter.

As construction on the Lindley Center moves into the fall, campus community members can expect to see the concrete floor slab poured, as well as the installation of the second-floor deck on the structure's steel framing. Additional framing and roof trusses will follow. The Lindley Center is expected to be completed for the start of Fall Term 2025.

Wilson Field
Wilson Field has been receiving updates to the competition surfaces and has been offline since early May. The new synthetic turf field has been installed and the surrounding track has been resurfaced. The track's rubber top layer will soon be put in place, followed by track lane striping before the project's Sept. 12 scheduled completion date. W&L will host Newport News Apprentice School on Sept. 14 in its first home football game of the 2024 season.

For continuous updates on the university's capital projects, please visit the Capital Projects update page on the University Facilities website.

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