Apartment-Style Housing Construction Underway
By Melyssa Allen

The construction process is underway for Meredith’s apartment-style housing project. The $22 million apartment project, which will be a housing option for upper-level students, is scheduled for completion in fall 2009.

Progress has already been made on the project, including the relocation of the portion of the campus street that ran through the project site. The building’s parking lots are being graded now and soon paving of the west parking lot and the access drive in front of the building will be complete. Concrete foundations are being completed now and the masonry walls are underway.

According to Project Manager Zane Dickerson, of Choate Construction Company, over the summer the construction team will be erecting the precast slab planks for the second and third floors and will be preparing to set roof trusses. 

“Once we have the floor slabs erected we will begin all of the mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and sprinkler rough-ins on the inside of the building,” Dickerson said. “By early fall we will begin framing the interior walls and moving into the finishes portion as winter approaches.”

The College is building the apartments in an environmentally friendly manner and plans to pursue LEED certification for the building. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

Key elements being undertaken to achieve LEED certification include the following: dual flush toilets, “dark sky” friendly exterior light fixtures, drip irrigation, construction materials made from recycled products, and diverting construction waste from the landfill.

When complete, the three-story structure will be able to house up to 252 residents and will feature approximately 105,000 square feet of living and common space.

The apartment building will consist of 48 units, each containing four bedrooms and two bathrooms, and 30 units that contain two bedrooms and two bathrooms. All bedrooms are designed for single occupancy. Each apartment will include a living/dining area, a kitchen with full-sized appliances, and a full-sized washer and dryer.

The apartments will be the first residence facility built at Meredith since Heilman and Barefoot Residence Halls opened in the early 1970s. Projected growth of Meredith’s resident population provided an opportunity for the College to examine the feasibility of apartment-style housing for juniors and seniors. Meredith’s Vision 2010 strategic plan calls for a resident population of 1,500, nearly 500 more than Meredith’s current residence halls can house.

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