The longstanding scaffolding on Loyola and Tierney Halls were taken down this month. The full renovation is expected to be completed March 2024.
Eva Elizondo, Contributing Writer
The longstanding scaffolding on Loyola and Tierney halls was taken down earlier this month. (Courtesy of Mary Hawthorn/ The Fordham Ram)
This past semester, there have been several buildings under construction—Tierney Hall, Loyola Hall, Faculty Memorial Hall and the McShane Campus Center Marketplace.
Fordham’s Director of Capital Programs & Planning, Marcella Gerbino, P.E. shared that the renovations on Faculty Memorial Hall involved replacing the windows that surround the building. This project started in the summer of 2023 and was completed in December 2023.
Residents of Loyola and Tierney have been familiarized with the ongoing renovation process in their halls. As per an article published by the Ram on Oct. 11, 2023, the Loyola renovations began during the fall of 2021 and were set to be completed by Nov. 30, 2023. Although the construction persisted through the end of last semester, this year, students were welcomed with the removal of the privacy screens and scaffolding. While some areas of the building are still being worked on, the windows in students’ rooms are no longer obstructed and tinted blue by the privacy tape. The project restores precast concrete and stone throughout the south and east facades. The renovation is expected to be finalized by March 2024, according to Gerbino.
Loyola resident Catalina Mercado, FCRH ’27, says, “I love being able to see out my window and actually see the campus from above. It’s gorgeous! The sunsets from my window are so beautiful, and seeing snowfall on our first week back was such a treat. The building also looks pretty from the outside as well. Can’t wait to see the leaves grow back in the spring.”
In Tierney, renovations have also been finalized this semester. However, students were not fully prepared for last semester’s construction.
“When moving into Tierney Hall, in the quiet southwest corner of campus, the last thing I expected was to be woken up every morning by loud noises on the roof above me,” said Ariel Karni, GSB ’25. “I live on the third floor, which is the top floor of the building directly below the roof. For roughly three months, there was constant construction above my floor that would wake us up every morning at 7 a.m. Though I am grateful for the work being done to renovate the building, it was quite the distraction… At first, we received a notice from our Resident Hall Director that there would be construction in the building for the majority of the semester. I assumed it would be noisy at times but the sound of drilling and hammering nails at seven in the morning on a Tuesday is not the most appealing alarm a student could ask for.”
While there has been a lot of work done on campus, the Fordham community can expect more renovations this spring semester with the continued construction on the McShane Center and updates to older buildings.
