Construction Update: New Science Building, Student Housing

As another eager group of young scholars arrives in Middletown this fall semester, Facilities has made several improvements to campus buildings and worked on projects aimed at enhancing student life.  

New Science Building 

Construction of this prominent building project—which is 12 years in the making—is moving along significantly. Facilities have completed most of the interior construction of the building. Once the building is finished and furnished, it will be ready for occupancy. Associate Vice President of Facilities Alan Rubacha said the building is on schedule and on budget, with a target opening slated for Fall 2026.  

The building will house 39 research and support labs, nine teaching labs, seven classrooms, a vivarium, a greenhouse, faculty and department offices, conference spaces, and a cafe. Research labs are clustered together in groups of four to five to help cultivate collaboration and communication and also reduce energy use. Each cluster will have interconnecting doors and a shared space for writing. The space will be home to the biology, chemistry, and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry departments. 

Once the new science building is occupied, Physical Plant will begin renovations of Shanklin Laboratories, home to biology and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry labs, to refresh the space and improve its accessibility. Renovations are scheduled to be completed in early 2029, Rubacha said. The Hall-Atwater Laboratories, wet-labs adjoined to Shanklin, are on target to be demolished in spring of 2027. 

Student Housing 

This summer, Physical Plant worked on several wood-frame houses on campus, with improvements to exterior windows and kitchens. Fauver Apartments received a new coat of paint, some new lighting additions, and new finishes. Bennet Hall, home to first-year students, had new ceilings, carpets, and lighting installed, and was re-painted, Rubacha said. 

The roofs of some on-campus housing were also re-done this summer, including WestCo and the Foss 8 to 9 connector, he said. Physical Plant also reworked the ground level of the surrounding area around the Foss 8 to 9 connector to make the building more accessible.  

“We've made over 100 beds accessible by simply changing the grade there,” Rubacha said. “[Director of Construction] Joe Banks did a marvelous job engineering that and replacing the roof with new pavers. That'll be done first week of September 2025. Very ambitious project to do it just a few weeks and it's coming along great.” 

Rubacha also said Facilities is,“in the planning stages of a ResLife project to address deferred maintenance, small growth in enrollment, and flexibility among our classes.”

Usdan University Center 

Physical Plant has also finished another key student life improvement this summer, converting the former mail area of Usdan University Center into a flex space for dining, events, meetings, and more. This space will open in the first week of September, Rubacha said. 

The second and third floors of Usdan have also seen upgrades, he said. A new ceiling and new carpets have been installed in the Daniel Family Commons on the third floor. The second level has also been re-carpeted.

Major Maintenance 

Alongside the maintenance efforts on student housing and in Usdan, Facilities has also continued efforts to maintain the Center for the Arts (CFA). They completed the second of two phases in a major drainage project in the area. The drainage system has been significantly restructured and regraded, Rubacha said. They have also added new sidewalks, lights, and landscaping throughout the CFA. 

Steam Conversion 

A key project in Wesleyan’s plans to reduce energy consumption over the next few decades is the University’s conversion from steam heating to hot water. The project has already yielded a 22 percent energy savings compared to the previous system, with a projected savings as high as 40 percent, Rubacha said. 

This summer, Physical Plant completed phase seven of 11—the disconnection of Freeman Athletic Center from the campus power plant. In this new alignment, Freeman will be on a standalone system with hot water boilers, eliminating the need to be attached to the larger campus system. 

Much of campus has already been converted, with Exley Science Center, the Science Library, Butterfields, and Central Power Plant remaining. The target completion date for the project is in 2029.

Over 25,000 feet of aging steam and condensations piping will be replaced on campus throughout the project. The conversion also opens the door for possible future renewable thermal technologies. The lower temperatures also improve worker safety. 

Long Lane Remediation 

Wesleyan received the final required permit from U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to finish the remediation of Long Lane Farm, a project that began back in 2001. This effort will bring the University into compliance with state regulations for pesticide contamination throughout the site. It will take about six years to complete, with a target date in 2031. The $14 million project is fully reimbursable from the State of Connecticut, Rubacha said.