Vassar Street undergrad residence hall foundation almost complete
Building to be finished in summer 2020 and occupied that fall
Work on the foundation for a new undergraduate residence hall on Vassar Street is nearing completion, and work on its superstructure — the construction above ground — is scheduled to start this week.
The construction site was previously the West Garage parking facility, which was demolished earlier this year. It is bordered on the east by the Metropolitan Warehouse and on the left by the Pacific Street crossing. Construction began in April 2018, according to Sonia Richards, program manager for Campus Construction in the Department of Facilities, in an email to The Tech.
“We’re completing the foundation work and underground utilities,” Richards said in an interview with The Tech. “In another week or so, we’re going to start doing the superstructure, which will start with the ground floor, and then we’ll start moving up to the other floors.” The completed building will have five floors.
The Vassar Street residence hall is projected to be completed in the summer of 2020 and occupied that fall. The concrete frame of the building will be constructed this winter.
The construction plan also includes adding green spaces — such as a plaza and courtyard — as well as benches and lighting along Vassar Street. Furthermore, the nearby Pacific Street crossing will be widened.
According to MIT’s Capital Projects website, the Vassar Street residence is expected to have 450 beds. The rooms will be singles and doubles arranged in clusters, and the design of the stairways and common areas is meant to facilitate interaction between the clusters. There will also be a dining hall and kitchen.