Behind The Fence (October 2022)

The site work, including ledge drilling and rock hammering, is by far the noisiest component of the project—as I’m sure you’ve heard and experienced. This work will continue over the next several months, most likely through Spring Break in March 2023, when we anticipate transitioning to pouring concrete footings and foundations. The rock hammering and drilling, and the installation of rock anchors to hold the remaining ledge in place, will move around the site from the north wall (closest to the Lower School) to the south wall (adjacent to Gage House/Goodhue) and eventually to the east wall (at the end of Akin Common). In order to accommodate the larger building and the shape of the new Center, there are some areas where more than 20 feet of vertical rock needs to be removed and then the façade supported.  

 

In addition to the work happening in the location of the new building, a significant amount of work has happened behind Zetkov. Although eventually this area will be a new parking lot and a stormwater retention pond, during construction, it will be used as a material storage and staging area and also where the rock crushing operations will happen. As you might imagine, with the drilling and hammering that is happening on site, there is a tremendous amount of rock that needs to be processed. Some of it is being taken away to a local quarry for reuse, while a lot will remain here on campus and will be crushed and used in other aspects of the construction. We are reusing the natural elements of our campus as much as possible. 

 

Another big milestone in October was the issuance of our building permit by the Town of Greenburgh. After a lengthy review with town engineers and inspectors, as well as a third-party code consultant review, we received the final package only about a week ago. We continue to work with the town to get the necessary approvals to construct a temporary pathway that will lead from the Gage House lawn down to Zetkov. Although related, because this walkway is outside the boundaries of the construction project, it required a separate permit and review process. It is still our hope to have the walkway and stairs installed before winter. We appreciate everyone’s patience as we use the emergency access road near the Lower School garden until this new pathway is finished.

 

As always, if you have any questions about the project, don’t hesitate to contact Director of Operations and Campus Planning Robert J. Aldrich.