The beginning of the year marked the 80th anniversary of the first classes conducted in Murphy Center, the jewel of Viterbo University’s campus. This summer, the building will be lavished with the kind of attention befitting an 80th birthday, getting improvements inside and out and top to bottom.
The biggest investment in Murphy this year is the second phase of a window replacement and exterior masonry repair project. This largest section of the three-phase project involves replacing all 260 of the windows on the building’s east face.
Storm windows already have been removed, and the replacement of the east-face windows will begin May 17, said Eugene McCurdy, Viterbo’s director of physical plant.
Work on replacing Murphy’s 648 windows, all of them original to the building, began last year with the 160 on the north and south sides of the building.
“It is a little bit unusual that the windows would last 80 years, so that’s a testament to the quality of the building’s construction,” McCurdy said. “At the time, I’m sure they used the latest and greatest building techniques and materials.”
The window replacement phase this year will cost about $350,000, with another $150,000 for the east-face masonry repair.
The other major exterior work this summer on Murphy will be the replacement of the HVAC system’s main chiller on the roof, which will cost about $125,000.
Meanwhile, a fundraising campaign was recently launched to create an Alumni Plaza and History Walk on the east side of Murphy. The idea is to make what has been a back door to Murphy into a signature destination, with a display of historic images mounted on portico surfaces, seating for socializing on both the ground level and the balcony, and plaques honoring alumni supporters on the columns. Work is expected to begin next spring.
This summer, the main entrance to Murphy will regain some of the luster it must have had when the building first opened 80 years ago.
Thanks to an anonymous donor, the Murphy lobby area will get a major “refresh,” with paint, new carpet that has a historic feel, refurbishment of the two chandeliers, repair and polishing of the marble surfaces, and new furniture. In addition, the two office suites at the top of the stairs in the lobby areas will get new glass and aluminum for the doors and “storefront” windows, and a card access system will be installed for entrance to those offices.
Murphy’s second floor corridor also will get a major makeover, the new flooring, ceilings, and lighting, a fresh coat of paint, new interior signage, a new transaction window for the business office, and rehanging of any doors that now swing open into the hallway.
The lobby work will cost about $90,000, and the second-floor corridor work will cost about $110,000, but McCurdy said it’s going to make Murphy look like a million bucks.
“I think when people see the Murphy Center lobby and corridor when it’s done, there’s going to be something of a wow factor,” McCurdy said.
The Hub for Student Success on the third floor of Murphy also will get a significant investment this summer. The Academic Resource Center will get four glass-walled rooms for tutoring and studying, two hard-walled offices for ARC staff, new furniture, and a welcome desk for student-facing services. Cost of this project will be between $90,000 and $100,000.
Across the way from Murphy, the Varsity Athletic Center also will be spruced up over the summer. The gymnasium will get a fresh coat of paint and the gym floor will be redone with updated logo and colors, while the lobby will get new lighting, ceiling, paint, and furniture. The “branding” on the VAC exterior also will be updated, possibly with some added banners and vinyl on the entryway glass.
For students who prefer their sports electronic, McCurdy noted, Viterbo will get its first computer gaming arena in Murphy Center. Plans are in the works, with the work to be done in time to start an esports program in fall 2022. That also is when the university launches a new computer science program.
The university also will invest in a new 14-passenger bus to replace one of its two existing fleet buses, and will likely demolish a house on Seventh Street that was formerly used to house students but is no longer habitable.
As if all that isn’t enough to keep the 31 members of McCurdy’s staff busy, this summer also will see the usual concrete repair, HVAC duct cleaning, and numerous smaller projects. If the pandemic picture is looking positive toward the end of summer and physical distancing is no longer a necessity, McCurdy’s staff will have a lot of furniture to take out of storage and put back into play.
Viterbo’s instructional and information technology department also will have a busy summer after having had an unexpectedly busy 2020 dealing with all the technical needs involved in making the pivot to remote learning.
“I feel like we get busier and busier every year. The addition of technology tools in my time here has been continual and rapid,” said IIT Director Sarah Bearbower, who has been with Viterbo for nine years.
Some of the major investments for the 2020-21 school year included updating classroom teacher podiums in Brophy Center, Reinhart Center, and the School of Nursing Building with improved digital control systems that include ceiling speakers and microphones. The pandemic also required numerous technical upgrades and additional equipment to accommodate remote learning and the hybrid transition period back to in-person instruction.
Major projects for the 2021-22 school year include updating of the campus security camera system to accommodate an additional 151 cameras in residence halls, digital directional signage for the Fine Arts Center theatre and dining services, and computer updates in all classrooms, on top of more than 90 office setups required either for new employees or staff moving to different offices.
In addition, work begins in June on a new, larger lounge for military aligned students on the garden level of Reinhart Center, featuring space for socializing, a study room, and office space for Keith Purnell, the director of military aligned student support and recruitment. The work comes on the heels of Viterbo earning a silver designation as a military friendly school.