Members of the Class of 2001 arriving on campus in the fall might be surprised at the amount of construction occurring all over campus.
The College has several long-term planning projects undergoing construction, and much of the work is scheduled to be completed around 2001.
Construction on the new Berry Library should begin in the spring of 1998, according to Director of Facilities Planning Gordon DeWitt.
The new library will be funded partly by the largest gift in the College's history -- $27.5 million donated in 1992 by John Berry '44, whose company founded the Yellow Pages.
Also contributing $5 million to Berry Library is George F. Baker III, whose great-grandfather funded the construction of Baker Library.
DeWitt said the planning for the construction of the Berry Library and the renovation of Baker Library is nearing the end of the schematic design phase.
He said in the early designs for the building, planners are considering a larger building that would not only accomodate the library needs, but also classrooms and offices -- "if we get the money, that is."
DeWitt said a decision will come in the next two months whether to build the larger building, but the bigger project would require the demolition of the Kiewit computation center.
At present, the entire Berry Library project is scheduled to be completed in 2001.
Webster Hall, which had a medium-sized programming venue on campus for years, is now being renovated to be a part of the new library complex.
Webster Hall renovations are scheduled to be completed by late fall of 1998.
Currently both exterior and interior construction is taking place, as Webster is transformed into the Rauner Special Collections Library.
Another long-term campus project is the construction of the $26.5 million Moore Psychology building on Maynard St.
Currently the psychology department is housed in Bradley and Gerry Hall, familiarly known as the shower towers, which are scheduled to be demolished in the next ten years.
Assistant Director of Facilities Planning Reed Bergwall told The Dartmouth in May the building is scheduled to officially open June of 1999.
The new Roth Center for Jewish Life on Occom Ridge Road will open in September.
The $3 million, 11,000 square foot structure will replace the Hillel House on Summer Street near Hanover High School.
Hillel is the College's Jewish students' organization.