College Begins Eliot Hall Renovations

Following an announcement two months ago that renovations of Eliot Hall would be delayed until next spring to defray costs, the College reversed that decision and has started making repairs on the Cabot House dormitory.

College officials said that the original decision to delay Eliot Hall renovations was made because there were not sufficient overflow accomodations for the Eliot residents.

However, Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 said yesterday that renovations on Eliot Hall have already begun and that the Cabot residents slated to live in Eliot will be given alternative housing in 29 Garden St. Jewett said that renovations to Eliot may be complete by next spring.

The original change in plans drew angry responses from more than 200 Cabot House residents who said that Eliot Hall was presently "structurally unsound." Several times over the past year, ceilings and walls in the building have crumbled and plumbing has backed up.

The Cabot House students called for the immediate renovation of the dormitory in a petition which they sent to a number of top College administrators, including President Derek C. Bok.

In May, College officials said that the delay was in Eliot Hall renovations was due to monetary considerations, but Jewett said yesterday that the new arrangement is "somewhat financially advantageous."

Jewett said that the petition partly influenced the College's switch in plans because it "focussed the issue." He added, "The wishes of the students and the wishes of the best interests of the plan combined."

Moors Renovations

Residents of North House's Moors and Wolbach Halls will live in the Botanical Gardens, the apartment house across Linnean St., which was used to accomodate residents of Cabot House's Barnard, Bertram and Briggs Halls while these dorms were being renovated.

Cabot House residents moved into Briggs Hall in February and Jewett said that Barnard and Bertram may be ready for use by the fall.

The College will build a kitchen which will service both North and Cabot Houses in front of Moors Hall and thus save thousands of dollars each year in dining hall costs.

College officials had expected the entire renovation project to run about $27 million. But renovations to three of the nine Radcliffe dormitories slated for repairs cost nearly $12 million, and the joint kitchen had not been started.

Following these renovations, the College ran out of money and decided to compress the entire four-year project into 18 months and save money by not renting the Botanical Gardens.