The Cardiac Hill pathway between Murchinson and Calvert Residence Hall is now reopened as of Sept. 30. Additionally, the fence line around the construction is scheduled to be removed in mid-November, which will connect Murchison elevator to the Coates Student Center.
Andrew Wells, vice president of Student Affairs, stated that the construction is focused primarily on the Esplanade rather than Cardiac Hill.
“The major change is the additional steps were added at the top of this stairwell so that this ground is level with the entry into the Coates,” Wells said. “So this is smooth and more accessible for people to use to enter the building here now. Because there used to not be a ramp or anything, so if you used any sort of mobility device, it was not an accessible entrance, and now it is.”
The project began in August, and it is currently on schedule to be completed by January. Currently, Cardiac Hill is reopened, but the Esplanade and Murchison elevator are still fenced off and inaccessible from the top of Cardiac Hill.
“When you [the students] come back from winter break, my goal is for the fences to all be gone. That’s the timeline that we’re working on and this project is going to move really quickly,” Wells said.
Wells said there were other delays and challenges at the beginning of the construction, including bad weather. In addition, staff have mentioned concerns about the noise level occurring during the day, but Wells noted that there haven’t been any complaints from students living on lower campus.
“If we had really severe weather that disrupted the construction project, that could be a delay. But this is outdoors, and we’re not building any new buildings here. The project timeline is more reliable,” Wells said. “Because, if we’re waiting for furniture to be brought in or something like that because sometimes furniture can come with delays, it’s just the outdoor spaces, they’re pouring concrete and they’re installing light fixtures and power.”
Students often look for the fastest paths to get to their class, and some even dedicated time before the semester kicked off to navigate and understand the layout of Trinity’s campus and buildings due to the Cardiac construction. Andrea De La Mora Munoz, sophomore biology major, expressed her excitement about the reopening of Cardiac Hill after construction.
“At first, a lot of people were hating on Cardiac Hill,” Munoz said. “So they didn’t care that it’s being reconstructed. But in my opinion, as soon as it was taken away from me, I missed it. I’m really excited that it’s back. It’s very convenient for me, since I live in Calvert, it just takes two floors after going up the stairs, and then I can get to Northrup really fast. I can get to Coates really fast. It’s a great way of just taking a shortcut to class, and I’m earlier than usual now that it’s open.”
Many first-year students were unaware of Cardiac Hill under construction until it was illuminated by temporary lights, and they had to relearn the campus map when classes began. Bani Kaur, first-year marketing major, stated that the reopening of Cardiac Hill has made her route to class more direct.
“I used it everyday [after it reopened]. I think I got lucky, because I’m at Miller, so it’s an easier walk, more straightforward, and it takes me less time to get to class,” Kaur said. “[When it is under construction] I either take the other staircase, next to Murchison, or sometimes I just take the elevator up if I’m tired. I made it a little bit longer to get to class, but it wasn’t that bad.”
