MacKenzie Makeover ‘moving along smoothly’

After only about a month since renovations to the MacKenzie Complex began, great progress is already being made in the effort to transform the building into the largest and most modern residence hall within the State University of New York system.

According to Glenn Brubaker, director of Facilities Operations, the demolition work on phase one of the MacKenzie Makeover project is about 60 percent complete after the physical work on the facility started in early October.

“So far, the project is moving along smoothly, as we are just getting underway. The satellite boiler project for the entire MacKenzie Complex is also underway, with DASNY (Dormitory Authority of the State of New York) and the consultants coordinating the two projects to create a symbiotic relationship for both of them,” said Brubaker, referring to the college’s boiler decentralization effort, which involves eliminating campus buildings’ dependency on the college’s main heating plant through the installation of new, more efficient condensing boilers.

The first phase of the MacKenzie Makeover involves renovating the East Tower to create a new entrance and gathering spaces for students on each floor, while reinventing the Central Quad to create an attractive core for the 1,200-student residence hall that is warm, welcoming, and feels like an extension of one’s own home. The quad’s design includes a 35-foot-tall atrium with the light illuminating natural surfaces of rock and wood throughout.

Phase one, Brubaker said, is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2017. He said the design of phase two is currently underway, which entails completing work on MacKenzie East, such as renovating row house 8 and Tower G.

“Also, all of MacKenzie South will be renovated,” Brubaker said. “This includes row houses 9, 10, and 11, and Towers H and J. Construction for phase two is tentatively scheduled to begin in May 2018.”