Expansion Plans Under Way at School of Pharmacy
The design of the second phase of the Saint Joseph College School of Pharmacy in downtown Hartford will offer both programmatic enhancements as well as additional student support services. Located on the third floor at 229 Trumbull Street in the XL Center, the current 35,000 square foot facility will gain an additional 18,000 square feet in this expansion project in a space adjacent to the existing quarters. Architectural documents have been completed and the project is now out to bid. The additions fall into three distinct categories:
- Student Support: These spaces include an additional student gathering space; like the current Town Center (part of the Phase 1 construction), the new informal gathering area is adjacent to an elevator but also highlighted by built-in seating for casual gatherings between formal classroom study. The new gathering space is provided with ample natural light from skylights above the large internal atrium. Additionally, students will now have a large dedicated student lounge with seating for over 100 people that will include the relocated vending area, several large refrigerators as well as microwaves and sinks. This lounge will face Trumbull Street and will afford tremendous natural light. Rounding out the student support enhancements will be a relocated and expanded student locker area as well as a larger and dedicated student government office/meeting area.
- Administrative Support: First, the Student Affairs offices will relocate from the entry level to the third floor and provide for additional room for expansion as well as much better privacy for students and the office of Student Affairs staff. Secondly, Phase II will add a new multi-purpose meeting room for use by the College to host internal as well as external events including board meetings and community outreach. This room will offer flexibility in terms of layout so that it can be further sub-divided to accommodate both formal meetings and less formal gatherings/receptions.
- Enhanced Learning: These spaces include a major expansion of the library that will increase the usable area by approximately 50%. A large classroom will be added with seating for 48 students along with a seminar room; both rooms can be combined into one larger classroom if desired since they are separated by a moveable partition.
Construction is expected to commence this February and will wrap-up in late May. Upon completion, furniture will be installed so that the spaces will be ready and fully functional well before the next class of Pharmacy students matriculates in the late summer of 2012.
