Dear Neighbors,
The fall semester has been a busy one, and with Fall Break October 11-14, we are preparing for several campus projects as well as the next steps in the new theatre plan for the last quarter of the calendar year. Soon, you’ll see additional activity at the corner of William St. and Sunken Road, all within the fenced-in site, as we take down Marshall and Russell Halls and prep the site for the new building.
First though, we wanted to take a moment to thank you for your partnership as neighbors. We appreciate the conversations during neighborhood meetings and in our Town Gown meetings with neighborhood associations each semester. At our most recent meeting, we shared many of the details below. We also celebrated a shared success: The Princeton Review has ranked UMW among its 391 Best Colleges this year, as part of that accolade we ranked No. 15 for Town Gown Relations. This honor is based on student surveys about their experiences on campus and in the community, and your warm welcome to them in Fredericksburg plays a big part in that.
What’s Next for the New Theatre
Site preparation for the new academic home of UMW’s Department of Theatre and Dance includes the removal of two buildings and several trees. Demolition of Marshall and Russell Halls is scheduled to begin in November and will take approximately 90–120 days. The road at Marshall Hill will remain closed and will not reopen as the theatre is added to this corner of campus.
As we remove trees around the theatre site, we will repurpose them as mulch for campus as feasible. In addition, about a third of the trees will be repurposed and reused around campus and in the regional community, creating artistic, functional and educational installations, including in the new theatre and in support of the UMW Campus Tree Fund.
We’ve partnered with the Virginia Department of Forestry for assistance with tree measurements and cataloging in advance of this phase of the project, along with several contractors. We also have on-campus leaders in this area, as Director of Landscape and Grounds Holly Chichester-Morby and her team have worked for many years to earn and maintain Tree Campus status. See more about her work on the Mary Wash Instagram page.
Accessibility and Safety Improvements
Thanks to support from the state budget, starting in 2022-23, we’ve planned several accessibility improvements across campus, from repairing broken brick walkways to adding entrance ramps and elevators to buildings.
The first phase of improvements includes Ball, Custis, and Madison Halls, and large classrooms in Jepson and Combs, followed by site improvements at the Battleground Athletic Complex and wayfinding and navigation throughout the Fredericksburg Campus. Ball Hall is offline in 2025-26 for accessibility improvements, including the addition of an elevator and room updates to the first floor to make several suites accessible. In addition, we are completing landscape improvements around Custis Hall.
Battleground Athletic Complex Locker Rooms and Homecoming Invitation
Sitework has started for two modular locker rooms at the Battleground Athletic Complex, which will be welcome additions for our student-athletes and visiting teams. The locker rooms will be located between the Shell Trail and Facilities Plant. If you use this area for recreation, be aware of temporary detours as waterlines are installed and the modular units are moved into place. We look forward to celebrating the start of this project with a groundbreaking around Homecoming week, Oct. 22-25.
You are welcome and invited to join campus during Homecoming festivities, with events beginning Oct. 22 and highlights happening through the weekend, including the Big Ash Bonfire on Friday, Oct. 24 and tailgating and games on Saturday, Oct. 25. Note that traffic around Hanover Street will be heavy that weekend.
If you prefer to cheer on the Eagles during a quieter weekend, all of our regular season home games are free and you’re welcome at any competition. Thank you again for your partnership and support of our students.
Warm regards,
Brian Gorham
Assistant Vice President, Facilities Operations and Capital Outlay
University of Mary Washington
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