As students return to campus, they will find welcome changes to the campus. Construction crews have completed several large projects that will significantly impact college life. These include reopening Boatwright Beach as part of the ongoing Boatwright Library project, renovations to North Court residential hall, and a new moot courtroom and dining facility.

“The summer projects have gone well,” said Chuck Rogers, University architect.

Front and center: a new brick patio and terraced lawn in front of the library were completed a year early. Known as Boatwright Beach, the lawn is a popular location for students to study or hang out with friends. The area also has new landscaping and sidewalks that provide an accessible route to the library entrance.

“Accessibility is always a challenge on our moderately-hilly campus, so we’re excited to take another step towards universal access throughout the campus by opening up the new sidewalks,” Rogers said.

The Boatwright Memorial Library project, including the renovation of the 8:15 Café, remains under construction and on schedule for completion in the fall of next year.

“The number of students who visit the 8:15 Café has grown significantly over the past several years, so an upgrade to that space should be well-received, as will the large amount of new study and collaboration space around the café,” Rogers said. “These updates to the library that will open fall 2025 will transform how students interact with the building.”

The North Court renovation made the building fully residential. Previous classroom space was relocated elsewhere on campus. Early arrival students moved into North Court before the end of July. 

“There was a focus on providing more single bedrooms in the North Court suites and to provide more study spaces throughout that building,” Rogers said.

Renovations were also completed on a new café in the Well-Being Center. FlavUR offers fresh and healthy signature bowls, wraps, smoothies, and breakfast items.

The Law School moot court room renovation will be ready for classes in a couple of weeks, as will Jepson Hall classrooms 109 and 118, which both underwent similar renovations including new seating  and upgraded lighting, HVAC, and technology.

“I think most people are interested in the library because it gets so much traffic and because of its prominent location on the lake,” Rogers said. “But some other projects, like the work at the Law School — which we’ve been working on for the past couple of years — are worth seeing.”