After the ceremonial Groundbreaking on June 20, 2019, ground preparations, demolitions, and excavation began in earnest.  We note that The Ursuline School seal was carefully removed from the floor of the lobby and preserved in the staging area. The JB Commons pavers and the senior path were also safeguarded.

 

The first concrete was poured on October 1, 2019.  Foundation walls were then formed. The second concrete pour was on October 28, 2019.  The next exciting step was the steel beams going up, before Thanksgiving. The steel decking was mounted. On January 14, 2020 the cement floor was poured and cement steps were formed; later that month the roof trusses were installed. In February 2020, the roof was put in place and the new spaces began to be enclosed.

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In March 2020, we closed the campus in line with COVID-19 directives and we transitioned to distance learning. The absence of students presented an advantage in terms of this project. The construction work originally scheduled for summer was accelerated to begin in April 2020. Although struggling with delays in manufacturing and the effects of the virus on many trades, the work that could be expedited was begun.

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Over the summer of 2020, as deliveries of materials resumed, the interior took shape. Windows, flooring, and cabinetry were installed. The green roof was installed in early September 2020. That vegetation absorbs rainwater, purifies the air, and reduces the ambient temperature. The Innovation Hub was made ready for the placement of the laser cutters, microcontrollers, and writable walls for students to use as they create and invent. 

 

On September 13, 2020, Msgr. Keane blessed the new learning and social spaces. The Christina Jun Murphy '22 Commons was completed in time for the beginning of classes in September 2020. Tremendous progress took place in the other spaces as well. Soon, students were enjoying the Kulsar – McCarthy Lobby and Welcome Center, where certain mornings the choirs performed. Walking along the Nasti Family Corridor, students enter the High-Tech Media Conference Center for Global Scholar presentations, moot court, and Model UN in this seminar-style room.  The Maalouf Family Collaborative Workspace is used for faculty meetings or project work by students. The Administrative wing  is completed and features modern offices including the Mary Louise & William McCarthy Main Office.  The iHub was officially opened on January 28, 2021 and the doors to the lobby were formally opened on March 9, 2021.  Admissions is conducted virtually for  now out of the Ann Clemente Admissions Suite that includes the Verni Family Conference Room. The expanded bookstore is popular. We are happy to see the outside landscaping take shape as the construction nears completion.

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Please enjoy the PHOTOS below and

the May 2020 VIDEO that shows the exciting progress to that point!

Please click on the image below to watch the video or Click HERE.

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