To Our ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Faculty and Staff,
Last week, we began a renovation project on the Case Quad which, when completed, will include an enhanced, more sustainable green space and improved pedestrian walkways.
Although information about this plan appeared in , we regret that we did not previously share more detailed information about this planned revisioning of the Case Quad with our campus community.
To that end, we hope that this communication provides clarity about the necessity for the project and its benefits. In addition, we have temporarily suspended tree-cutting work on the project so that we can address concerns we’ve received about the removal of a few select trees on the Case Quad.
The Case Quad renovation was initiated as a two-phase pavement replacement project. The primary goals were to make the space more pedestrian friendly and to repair existing vehicular-scale asphalt paving with materials consistent with recent campus landscape projects, such as the Nord Family Greenway and the Nash Walkway. Phase I of the project was completed in 2018 and included the north half of the quad (from Crawford Hall to the Rockefeller Building). The current renovation is Phase II (from the Rockefeller Building to Veale).
The project’s lead landscape architect is —the same firm that designed our Nord Family Greenway, the East Bell site improvements, and produced the university’s Campus Master Plan, which informed this design process. Sasaki Associates’ design work appears on college campus around the country and in major metropolitan areas around the world.
As is the case with any renovation, great consideration was given to the existing elements that could remain—specifically to our mature trees.
The original plan called for the removal of 12 trees, some of which already have shown stress and others that would be damaged during construction. Upon further consideration, three of those trees have been removed from the cut list.
When completed, the Case Quad will boast approximately 50 new trees of different species which are consistent with the types specified in the . This is a five-fold replacement factor of complementary medium and smaller ornamental trees that will thrive under larger shade trees and provide seasonal color year-round.
We expect construction on the walkways to be completed by the end of August. Work will continue through the fall 2022 and spring 2023 semesters in small-scale areas that will not be disruptive.
Again, we hope this communication provides additional context and information about the project.
We look forward to our updated Case Quad as a sustainable green space that can be enjoyed by all members of our campus community.
Sincerely,
Eric W. Kaler
President