During this summer, Kent completed an extensive renovation of Case Dorm, which was proposed a year ago by Mr. Hirschfield, Head of School; Mr. Cataldo, CFO; and Mr. Bergin, Director of Facilities.
The budget for this big project was 1.2 million, and the focus was the whole dorm. “For Case, the budget included a new roof, new windows, floors, furniture, paint, and air conditioning,” Mr. Cataldo explained. Since Case was last renovated in the early 1990s, it was important to address some mechanical issues.. “We want to manage every structural concern, and mechanical issues, such as how to get heat and hot water to the building. Kent has recognized the importance of creating a better place to accommodate students and some summer programs,” Mr. Cataldo shared.
The renovation started as soon as school ended on May 30th, right after Memorial Day, leaving only two and a half months for the process to be done by the third week of August so that the dorm could be prepared for the students’ arrival. Nevertheless, Mr. Cataldo believed with good planning, time would not be a problem. For Mr. Bergin, getting the dorm residents out and finding houses for them was another big challenge: “We had to move all the furniture and residents out, and we were doing a steam line in front of the building at the same time, which cut the main entrance off.”
Although there was not much time, the renovation also focused on aesthetic improvements. There were many tiny details in the renovation, such as the new color of the stair treads, and higher stalls for greater privacy in the bathrooms. Mr. Bergin’s favorite is the carpeting: “We want to make the dorm nicer and more inviting for students. Case now looks like a hotel, and the carpeting style makes it more homey.”
Both Mr. Cataldo and Mr. Bergin are proud of the new Case. “Now we have a dorm with new furniture and paint; we got the steam line replaced, and the entrance rebuilt. The space became brighter and nicer, and we want to make sure that common spaces have the right furniture and equipment that give the students opportunities to be with friends and study and do the things they want to do in a dormitory.”
However, Mr. Bergin said that the renovation is not finished, “We are still waiting for the electric panels for the air conditioning and also for air conditioning for faculty homes.”
In the future, MDS and Borsdorff could be on the list for renovation next summer. Both Mr. Cataldo and Mr. Bergin noted that Kent already renovated Field and North in recent years, and we are trying to do a dorm renovation a year. However, when asked if there would be AC for future renovations, Mr. Bergin replied that the renovation really depends on budget and timing. He explained: “Since there will be summer camps coming in, they utilize the dorms,” which can make summer renovations difficult. On top of that, Mr. Cataldo stated that funding is significant to make sure these improvements can be implemented: “We are still discussing the dorm renovation plans for Borsdorff and MDS, but we believe that they would likely have ACs.”
Mr. Cataldo concluded that he hoped students would “enjoy the new dorm and take care of it. Our dormitories are meant to be home, for both students and certain faculties, so having comfortable places for its residents to live is important.”
