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Curtis Hall Renovation

Beginning in December ’24 (after final exams), until Fall of ’26, Curtis Hall residence hall at Maine Maritime Academy will undergo 4 phases of renovation. The scope of work will include major renovations to the building’s climate control infrastructure, new windows in all dorm rooms, plumbing upgrades including new shower compartments, and a renovation to the main entry lobby, vestibule, and exterior canopy.

This work will greatly improve the residential living experience, and greatly increase safety features in the event of an emergency.

The building will remain operational through all phases of renovation and provide the same number of beds for occupancy.

Here is a PDF of Phase 1 showing which rooms will be offline and which will be triple rooms.

As you are hopefully aware from the email you received from Residential Life on October 30, the room you currently live in will be converted to a triple room during the 2023 Winter Break in preparation for the 2024-2025 academic year Curtis Hall renovation project. While the room will remain a double for the spring 2024 semester, over the Winter Break the current furniture in your room will be removed and three sets of new furniture will be moved in.

What does this mean for you? Please carefully read this email to find out.

  • To accommodate the removal of the current metal furniture and the installation of the new furniture, you will need to fully pack up your room before departing campus in December for Winter Break.
  • Residential Life has purchased cardboard moving boxes which are at the front desk for your use. Just stop by and pick some up if you need them.
  • Once personal belongings are packed up, you will be able to store them in the Summer Storage Closets throughout Curtis over Winter Break.
  • Please label your boxes with your name and room number to keep things organized.
  • To gain access to the Summer Storage Closets, stop by the Curtis Hall Front Desk between the hours of 7PM-11PM, and the RA working can assist you. If you need access outside of those hours, please contact your RA, or stop by Dan Gardner’s office.
  • Please be sure and check all your desk and wardrobe drawers, under your bed, on top of your wardrobe, etc. for your belongings as MMA is not liable for personal items you leave behind which then get removed along with the furniture.
  • Due to the limited timeframe to remove, and then install furniture before students return from Winter Break, if you fail to pack and store your personal belongings before leaving for Winter Break, you will be charged a fine of $500 due to the staff that will be pulled from furniture set up to pack your personal belongings.

Information For Winter Sports Student-Athletes:

  • Athletes in impacted rooms who are returning early from Winter Break will not have furniture in their room. The new triple furniture will not arrive until January 3 and will take a few days to unload and set up.
  • Rachael Cotoni, Director of Conferences and Events will work with your coach(s) to make available Leavitt Hall rooms until your room has been set up with the new furniture.

We encourage you to stay informed with up-to-date information posted on the Curtis Hall Renovation Website. A comprehensive list of impacted rooms can be found here including the renovation time frame and changes to housing policies.

If you have questions, please stop by and see us.

-Blossom & Dan

As was announced at the Curtis Hall renovation informational meeting held on September 19th, Curtis Hall will undergo a four-phase renovation project with prep-work and staging of supplies and materials starting in the Spring 2024 semester and the physical renovation work beginning at the conclusion of the spring semester.

During each phase of work, all the bedrooms within that phase will be offline and will not be able to be lived in. To accommodate the offline rooms, Residential Life will need to turn double rooms in other areas of the building into triple rooms.

If your current room number is below than it will be a triple room for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Below is important information you need to be aware of. Please thoroughly read this email so you are aware of what is coming down the pike and what is expected of you.

  • The metal furniture, which is in most rooms in Curtis, is not able to be tripled. Over Winter Break, the metal furniture in your room will be removed and will be replaced with new wooden triple furniture.
  • To accommodate the removal of the current metal furniture and the installation of the new wooden furniture, you will need to fully pack up your room before departing campus in December for Winter Break. 
  • Residential Life has purchased cardboard moving boxes which you can use to pack your belongings in if needed, and you will be able to store items in the summer storage lockers as well as a few other storage spaces within Curtis over the Winter Break.
  • Residential Life strongly encourages you to take some time ahead of Thanksgiving Break to look over your belongings and see what items you might be able to take home with you at Thanksgiving Break to make packing up your room a little easier come December.

Important Note: Your room will not be used to house three students in it during this academic year (2023-2024), but it will have three sets of furniture in it when you return to campus in January in preparation for the Fall 2024 semester.

Residential Life will hold informational and Q&A sessions on the days and times listed below and we strongly encourage you to attend one of these so you are fully clear on what is coming up and what you need to do, and so we are able to answer questions you may have.

  • Sunday, November 5 at 8PM in the 1954 Room in Alfond
  • Wednesday, November 8 at 8PM in the 1954 Room in Alfond

A Zoom option for both sessions is available and was provided to those impacted via email on Oct 30. If you need the link, please email housing@mma.edu.

We look forward to seeing you either in person or virtually for one of these meetings.

Sincerely,

Residential Life

Initially Impacted Room #s:

Floor 2Floor 3Floor 4
201301401
203303403
205306405
207307407
209309409
216324424
224374474
274375475
275378478
278379479
279382482
282383483
283386486
286388488
288393493
293

***TEMPORARY*** adjustment to housing policy during renovation phase only – We will move to a 4-semester requirement for on-campus living. So students who are in their third semester now will be eligible to live off-campus in the Fall of 2024. We will return to policy of 6 semesters or 21 for Fall of 2026.

Renovation will happen in 4 phases, over the course of 2 years. Each ‘quadrant’ of the building will be considered a separate phase of work. Active renovation will be confined to the boundaries of that space during that phase.

The building will remain open throughout the renovation process, and will accommodate the same number of students that it normally would. This will be possible by assigning 3 students to a room versus the typical 2 per room. Images below give an idea of what that will look like.

The renovation phases are planned so that students will be able to occupy the same room for the entire semester. Some students will need to move rooms over the winter break, between phases. Three quarters of the building will always be available to be occupied throughout the process.

Click Images to Enlarge

 

Never before has air quality been as front of mind than it has been the last few years. Clean, comfortable air in our living spaces will be achieved with the planned mechanical upgrades that will happen through all 4 phases of renovation.
Notable benefits of these upgrades:

  • Increased air exchange rates that meet or exceed code
  • Bathroom air flow rates will  be greater than required by code
  • High efficiency air filters to provide the best quality air
  • New ventilation equipment will be able to dehumidify incoming air
  • New equipment has an energy recovery exchanger, which will reduce winter energy consumption.

 

The main entry lobby to Curtis Hall will receive a number of improvements during Phase 3 including:

  • Upgrade of 1 restroom to ADA compliance
  • Remodel of lobby spaces including new flooring, ceilings, lighting
  • The addition of windows and glass walls at the entry vestibule area

New lobby rendering
Curtis Hall Lobby Improvements

During each phase of renovation, all pipes serving the building will be replaced.

  • All shower stalls will also receive new fiberglass shower units.
  • Hot water supply will be reliable and always available.

Each room will receive:

  • Improved heating and better individual control within the room
  • New windows – with an operable top panel for access to fresh air. These will provide much greater thermal comfort within the room. Drafty windows no more! Windows will also have a low-E glazing to minimize intrusion during the hottest months of the year.