Summertime signals orange barrels in many communities. At Heidelberg, summertime means the start of facility upgrade season and in one case, additional construction.
According to Rod Morrison, associate vice president for facilities and engineering, four major projects are on this summer’s agenda: a major renovation and beautification for Pfleiderer Center for the Humanities; replacement of the turf and track at Hoernemann Stadium; the second phase of the renovation/addition to Hoernemann Refectory; and the Sarah Street renovation and enhancement project.
Pfleiderer Center Renovation & Beautification
Beginning the week of May 21, a much-needed renovation project will start in Pfleiderer Center. This $1.1 million project is 90 percent donor funded, plus generous grants from the Meshech Frost Charitable Trust and the Tiffin Community Foundation.
Renovations will include the installation of an interior elevator in the southeast corner of the building, running from the ground level to the first floor lobby. The elevator will be accessible from the rear entrance and will improve access to renovated and accessible restrooms, classrooms and faculty offices on the ground floor. And speaking of the rear entrance, the project will beautify the area with new lighting, a patio entryway and landscaping that will make it more inviting.
Additional exterior work will include new front stairs and cleaning, repair and tuck-pointing of the stonework on the building.
Inside, there are big plans to update the classrooms with new furniture, carpeting, lighting and media, along with reconfiguration of ceilings to conceal mechanical pipe runs. Herbster Chapel also will get a bit of a facelift. The archway will be partially opened and filled with new glass and glass doors to give a better sense of expanse in the lobby. The plan also is to improve media capabilities inside Herbster and replace the drapes with blinds. In the lobby, the fireplace will be re-faced with stone and a new wall feature is planned to tie together the building exterior and interior.
The general contractor for the project is Thomas & Marker. It is expected that the renovation to the academic space will be complete in time for the start of the academic year in August, with the remainder of the work finished sometime in the fall semester.
Hoernemann Stadium New Turf, Track & Field
The turf inside Hoernemann Stadium has survived three floods and has outlived its 10-year life expectancy. Although the track typically has a 6- to 7-year life expectancy, it hasn’t been replaced in about 20 years and is not OAC- or NCAA-compliant, meaning Heidelberg is not able to host home meets.
This summer, we will install new turf and replace the 8-lane track and the jumps areas (the throwing area at Peaceful Valley was renovated two years ago). When the $1.1 million project is complete, Heidelberg’s track and field will be competition-eligible, opening up opportunities to host conference and NCAA meets, a variety of other track and field events as well as educational and fun events for the broader Tiffin community.
With the scope of the project determined, we are in the final stages of selecting a contractor and finalizing design elements such as color scheme and logo marks. Work will start soon with the goal to have the new turf and track ready for use by the time fall athletes arrive on campus for camps in early August.
We are in the process of seeking donor funds to cover 100 percent of cost of the project. Learn more.
Below is the conceptual design for Heidelberg's new turf field and track.
Hoernemann Refectory Renovation, Phase II
As planned, the second phase of the Hoernemann Refectory renovation will begin June 4. The major piece of the project will be the addition of a two-story Coffee Shop & Loft and a new entrance at the corner of Greenfield and Rebecca streets.
The Coffee Shop & Loft will serve specialty coffees, tea and bakery items on the first level. The second level will be a lounge area for casual conversation. It’ll be a great space to hang out and for students to work together in small groups and unwind between classes. We expect to have a student naming contest for this exciting space next January.
The exterior addition, which will feature lots of glass and a Heidelberg orange accent statement, also will have an entrance into the main Hoernemann Dining Hall. Several parking Grab & Go spaces outside this new entrance along Rebecca Street will be added, and some outdoor seating also will be available.
The estimated $2 million project also will create the Clean Plate Station, an allergen-free dedicated space inside Hoernemann for cooking, service and storage of materials to accommodate students dealing with food allergies. In addition to allergy-free, this space will serve students with special dietary needs like gluten-free and vegan.
The renovation is part of the long-term partnership with Parkhurst Dining and Heidelberg. “Cooperation has been excellent, from the top down to the entire team,” Rod said. Parkhurst Dining and a great Heidelberg donor are funding this work.
General contractor JDH Construction (Tiffin, OH), working in cooperation with architect Shyft Collective of Columbus, are our partners in the design and construction of this important project. The new space will be completed by the end of December 2018. Construction will not affect the ability to fully use the dining room.
Sarah Street Renovation & Enhancement
It’s been 13 years since federal funds were earmarked to improve Sarah Street, which runs on the northern edge of campus, from Perry Street to Greenfield Street, separating France Hall and National Machinery. Heidelberg and the city of Tiffin have worked diligently to move the project along. Rod expects that the city of Tiffin will have the project out for bid late this spring and hopes to see construction begin this summer.
The approximate cost for this project is $1.2 million; it is entirely federally funded.
“We’re excited that we’re finally going to see a real and exceptionally well done street and streetscape,” he said.
Sarah Street will be widened to two full lanes, and designed to handle heavy traffic from National Machinery. Parallel parking will be added between the street and the railroad tracks. Sidewalks, trees, fencing and campus lighting will be installed, making the area not only more functional but aesthetically pleasing.
Numerous issues have delayed the project, and because of that, completion may be pushed well into the fall semester.
“We are thrilled about all four of these construction projects,” President Rob Huntington said.