Quincy Renewal Still on Schedule

Though scaffolding and black tarp continue to shroud the facade of Old Quincy, renovations on the building are proceeding according to plan.

“At the end of December, the Old Quincy Test Project approached 50 percent completion and continues to track on schedule and budget,” Jeff Neal, spokesperson for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, wrote in an email statement.

Although the Neo-Georgian exterior remains intact, the inside of Old Quincy has been gutted and the entire layout has been remodeled.

“Interior wall framing and the rough-in installation of the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems has been completed in the upper floors of the building and is progressing down through the lower levels,” Neal wrote.

According to Neal, structural modifications to the lower level are expected to be finished by the end of January.

Neal wrote that administrators view the renovations of Quincy House a “test project” because it will provide key information that may influence the renewal process for the rest of the Houses.

Construction on Old Leverett is slated to begin in June of 2013, followed by Dunster in the summer of 2014.

A sign posted outside of Quincy’s main entrance provides students with a weekly update about the progress of construction.

Students displaced by the renovations on Old Quincy are currently being housed in three Harvard-owned apartment buildings across the Square. Despite the relocations, many students said that construction has not posed a significant disruption to student life.

Daniel Sung ’15, a Quincy resident currently living in Hampden Hall on Plympton St., said he feels that swing housing is “amazing.”

“We get the best,” Sung said, referring to the fact that next year, sophomores will occupy the renovated Old Quincy complete with updated living accomodations.

Alexis J. Smith ’15, who is also living in swing housing, echoed Sung’s sentiment.

“I’m not really exposed to a lot of the noise or construction,” Smith said. “I don’t have any negative feelings about it.”

Smith said she appreciates the efforts of the University to revamp the Houses.

“It shows the housing system moving in a modern direction,” she said.

—Staff writer Laya Anasu can be reached at layaanasu@college.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Elizabeth S. Auritt can be reached at eauritt@college.harvard.edu.