There is light at the end of the tunnel.
Under a new contractor, the Sprague Hall renovations are ongoing despite the declaration of bankruptcy by the original construction group last year.
The University had hoped to finish its renovation of the building, which contains musical classrooms, practice rooms and an auditorium for recitals and concerts, by the end of the semester. But the completion date has now been pushed back to next summer.
The original construction company, New Jersey-based Durell Builders, declared bankruptcy at the beginning of the year. Turner Construction has since taken over the project.
“[The bankruptcy] obviously had an impact,” Facilities Project Director Arch Currie said. “We were forced to replace that contractor with a new one, and there was time lost as a result of the changeover.”
Currie added that while it is not unusual for contractors to declare bankruptcy in the industry, it has rarely happened to firms working on projects at Yale.
The renovation will add practice rooms and office space while revamping the main concert hall. The University plans to add air conditioning to the building and also to make acoustical enhancements throughout the structure.
“It’s a fairly comprehensive job,” Currie said.
The project comes as part of a plan to update music facilities across the campus.
–Jonathan Horn