Students at Rollins College are scheduled to return to campus September 8th through 12th, taking part in a staggered move in to optimize physical distancing. Classes begin Monday, September 14th. Last fall the Winter Park-based college leveled the former McKean Hall near Lake Virginia to prepare for the new Lakeside Neighborhood. The student housing area will accommodate 496 student beds. The new $71 million student housing project is part of the school's strategic initiative to have a three-year, on-campus residency requirement in the 2021-2022 academic year.
The new 250,000-square-foot student housing project will be completed in two phases (188,495 in phase 1) and (49,235 in phase 2). In August Maitland-based Winter Park Construction (WPC), serving as the general contractor for both phases of the project, will turn over phase one on schedule to the project developer, Winter Park-based real estate developer Alan Ginsburg. Orlando-based Rob Schaeffer Visualization & Planning was the architect for the project. Phase two of the project will include a fitness center, office space, a zero-entry pool, and an expanded convenience store with hot, freshly prepared items.
Named “Lakeside Neighborhood” the new student dorms are part of the Lakeside Neighborhood, which includes three wings named in honor of past Rollins College presidents Hugh McKean, Thaddeus Seymour, and Rita Bornstein. “Each of these storied leaders laid the groundwork to make Rollins the great college it is today, and set the stage for those of us who have the honor of stewarding its mission to educate our students for global citizenship and responsible leadership, empowering our graduates to pursue meaningful lives and productive careers,” said President Grant H. Cornwell.
Leon Hayner, Interim Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students: “With these programmatic enhancements, Rollins is setting a new standard for liberal arts living and learning. The College is committed to delivering an unparalleled 21st-century education to our students while supporting their health and well-being.”
WPC President, Jeff Forrest says of building student housing projects, “Deadlines are crucial when it concerns construction of student housing projects, ensuring beds are ready for students to move in prior to school starting. With due COVID precautions, the start date for school was moved back two weeks - but we were diligent ensuring we met our original due date for the project.” He continues, “The year- long project was completed in part while the campus was open to students. With student life in full swing, WPC operated in a highly organized fashion to minimize impact to the student experience - by keeping the jobsite safe, initiating phases of installation to detract from clutter, and managing logistics in terms of deliveries and installations.”
About Winter Park Construction
Since 1974, WPC has provided general contractor, pre-construction, construction management and renovation services to Central Florida and the southeast United States. With over $200M in projects set for completion in 2020, WPC provides employment for 140+ full-time employees and thousands of subcontractor positions. With a portfolio rich in many sectors, in 2020 WPC is focusing on construction projects in student housing, hospitality and senior housing sectors - as well as on major renovation projects.
Related