Fitchburg Mass.

[Boston02124]

whats being built here once this is gone?

 

[Mayor Menino's Crohn's]

whats being built here once this is gone?

New Life Sciences Center

 

[Boston02124]

thanks I should of read more before I posted ^

 

[found5dollar]

Ok, some updates on the college's building free for all.


1)
the old Parkinson's Gymnasium is no more.
http://www.fitchburgstate.edu/webcam/
the webcams show just cement pad is left at this point


2)
The plans for remodeling the front of the Hammond Building have been put out.
A little history first. To build the Hammond Building, Fitchburg's library and student center, the school tore down a residence Hall, the closest building in the below pic. The building was built in the 1960's, off of modified parking garage plans. Hammond is made out of concrete as it was built during the Vietnam War when steel prices were high.

In 2006, the nearby Holmes Dining Commons was renovated and included a ramp that aimed towards the Hammond Building, as this whole part of campus is built into a two story high hill. This ramp has not been extended to actualy reach the back of the Hammond building, to the frustration of handicapped students. In 2009, the front facade of the building had to be torn down and reinstalled as bricks were crumbling and beginning to fall. During this process the school also added windows to the front of the third floor.

the back of the Hammond Building

The new design for the front of the Hammond Building includes outdoor seating for the commuter cafe in what is now considered the basement of the building, but which will become the main entrance floor when the renovation is complete. It also includes new staircases, elevators, and a reorganization of interior space across all 5 floors. a new vertical glass element will also be added to the building.

exterior rendering

interior rendering

the press release the school sent out to alumni is as follows:

President Antonucci unveiled renderings of plans for a major upgrade to the Hammond Campus Center during campus forums on March 29.

Work is expected to begin on the first phase of the Hammond project on Monday, May 23.

The goals for the project include the creation of a prominent and accessible point of entry to the campus from Pearl and North streets. There will be improved air circulation in the building as well as more efficient use of space.

"We want good working conditions for faculty and staff, and good learning space for students," President Antonucci said during the forums.

full plans for the building renovations and addition are in a powerpoint i found here:
http://www.fitchburgstate.edu/facilities/documents/DesignDevelopment.pptx


3)
Thompson Hall, the first building on campus, when original built had it's most stunning side facing towards what was the front of the school. Over the years, this part of campus has been enclosed, by the Hammond building most notably, and turned into what is known as the Aulmni Quad. The alumni Quad is poorly designed and ill maintained and is rarely used by anyone.

Original front of Thompson Hall.

The back of the building was, well, just that, a back of a building It has not much in terms of architectural merit, but as the campus evolved, this side became the main entrance as it opened directly onto to what became the academic quad. Some time in the 60's or 70's a small, concrete "porch" was added to this side of the building and has been crumbling eversince. bu the mid 2000's over half of the stairs had to be roped off as they simply were not there any more.
The school just finished a new granite and steel porch as a replacement.

Thompson Porch


4)
155 North Street is a building that the school purchased and just finished renovating and expanding to create offices for the Exercise and Sport Science department. It is the first building on campus, and i believe in all of Fitchburg, to use geothermal heating and cooling.

5)
There are tons more building renovations and office/ department moves, but i won't bore all of you with the little stuff.


EDIT: said Anthony a bunch of times when i meant Thompson

 

[bosfitch]

That's Thompson Hall, not Anthony...Anthony has been remodeled as a student service center.

 

[found5dollar]

Oh wow. you are right. i had anthony on the brain hahahaha

 

[Boston02124]

I was told they are tearing down this building soon!

<saving the long part?

 

[humphrey]

Well things aren't going too well in the Burg. There was a big fire in the Johnsonia (arguably the best building in town) and it now looks like the building will come down.

The actual damage - aside from the two top floors - wasn't too bad. However there was too much dithering, and it looks like the supports have now cracked. Big contrast to what happened to the Brooks House Hotel in Brattleboro which suffered a similar fire but was quickly stabilized and is now well into a redevelopment plan.

Here's an article on the debacle:

http://www.telegram.com/article/20111228/NEWS/112289688/1246/newsrewind

 

[found5dollar]

I just stumbled on Fitchburg State's Master Plan. I had never actually seen it before. It seems to have been made in 2007 and they have already completed or are in the process of completing the first two phases. Its alot of information, but realy interesting stuff on what is next for the area. Page 41 has the map of the plan.

http://www.fitchburgstate.edu/uploads/files/CapitalPlanningMaintenance/MasterPlan.pdf

also, recently FSU closed down Highland avenue infront of the Industrial Arts building and created a park and more parking lots. (all pics from FSU website)

new park where there used to be a road.

New entrance and stair tower for the Hammond Building construction

new handicapped accessible paths through campus

 

[FrankLloydMike]

Well things aren't going too well in the Burg. There was a big fire in the Johnsonia (arguably the best building in town) and it now looks like the building will come down.

The actual damage - aside from the two top floors - wasn't too bad. However there was too much dithering, and it looks like the supports have now cracked. Big contrast to what happened to the Brooks House Hotel in Brattleboro which suffered a similar fire but was quickly stabilized and is now well into a redevelopment plan.

Here's an article on the debacle:

http://www.telegram.com/article/20111228/NEWS/112289688/1246/newsrewind

That would be a terrible shame. I'm wondering if the unusually warm winter has helped at all--any chance this building will be saved? This passage from the article really leaves me breathless--I can think of no reason to justify withholding available funds that could be used to save a historic building, let alone to ensure public safety:

City Solicitor Michael Ciota said the city was denied access to $6.1 million in insurance money at a hearing in Housing Court in Worcester Dec. 17. It wanted to use the money to help make the building safer, but it has a lien against the money and was told to come back should the building become dangerous. No one can touch the money, he explained — including the building’s owner, tenants or the city — unless all agree.

 

[humphrey]

That would be a terrible shame. I'm wondering if the unusually warm winter has helped at all--any chance this building will be saved? This passage from the article really leaves me breathless--I can think of no reason to justify withholding available funds that could be used to save a historic building, let alone to ensure public safety:

Latest news

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/topstory/ci_20221348/more-problems-at-johnsonia

Depends on the engineering results. If the winter had been bad I think it would have been game over. As it is, a part of the ceiling has come down (unsurprising really). From the outside at least the building looks pretty sturdy and I'm still holding out hope it doesn't get torn down.

 

[found5dollar]

can anyone else figure this out? It appears that FSU is building a new dorm, but it seems there is a developer and there will be rent, not a housing fee. Is this on campus housing or off campus apartments?

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/topstory/ci_20347039/construction-fsu-student-housing-begins

http://www.telegram.com/article/20120407/NEWS/104079873/1116

 

[PortlandArch]

can anyone else figure this out? It appears that FSU is building a new dorm, but it seems there is a developer and there will be rent, not a housing fee. Is this on campus housing or off campus apartments?

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/topstory/ci_20347039/construction-fsu-student-housing-begins

http://www.telegram.com/article/20120407/NEWS/104079873/1116

some colleges combine the two concepts, allowing private developers to rent on-campus housing to students exclusively, built on land leased from the college.

 

[humphrey]

Latest news

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/topstory/ci_20221348/more-problems-at-johnsonia

Depends on the engineering results. If the winter had been bad I think it would have been game over. As it is, a part of the ceiling has come down (unsurprising really). From the outside at least the building looks pretty sturdy and I'm still holding out hope it doesn't get torn down.

Nope, it's coming down...

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.co...-by-brick-fitchburgs-johnsonia-is-coming-down

 

[Boston02124]

this past Sunday,looks like they could take off the top and rebuild?looks like thats what they're doing? If they were taking it down a wrecking ball would just demolish the whole building at once,this looks like they're taking it down a floor to rebuild?

 

[humphrey]

Fraid not - the whole building is coming down and space will be an empty lot. The reason it is coming down so slow is that fact that the building is right on main street and the demolition is being performed by a salvage company which is taking the most valuable parts of the building away for resale.

 

[found5dollar]

Fitchburg State is still doing major renovations all over campus. their alumni facebook page recently posted a bunch of pictures of what has just been finished. here are some of the better ones.

New Entrance and stair/elevator tower to the Hammond building

Interior:

New quad plantings as well as handicapped entrance and patio added to Edgerly hall

New Staircases, ramps, and plantings

New Highland ave pocket park and signage

Also, the webcams for the new science center are still up. http://www.fitchburgstate.edu/offices/capital-planning-maintenance/webcam/

 

[found5dollar]

Rolled through Fitchburg yesterday took some pictures of things on and off campus. First of all the building they were tearing down downtown is gone, just a gravel lot right now....

elsewhere:

New Fitchburgh State Science Building stiill being built. It seems so huge compared to the rest of the buildings on campus. It and Hammond are like giants among regular sized people.

New Hammond Building front tower-y thing. It has completely transformed the entrance to campus, and made everything so much more handicapped accessible.

Special Super Bonus: Here are a few pictures of the Rollstone Boulder which i just finished a new wikipedia page for. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rollstone_Boulder

 

[found5dollar]

New 3 acre development across the street from the train station and down the street from the college. it will be a 4 story brick building with 50 units of market rate housing and "a nationally recognized pharmacy retailer" on the first floor *cough*CVS or Walgreens*cough*

This will be really good for Fitchburgh. These lots need redevelopment bad and getting more people downtown in a TOD is great.

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.co...using-at-key-downtown-fitchburg#ixzz2XWcA4O45

 

[itchy]

What happened to the Johnsonia in the end? Is it now vaporized? Still standing, half-demolished? Or will they actually try to stabilize and restore it?