A Pillsbury's Progress

Design and abatement work are underway for English's future home
Pillsbury Hall in winter

As Sherlock Holmes said to Watson, “The game is afoot” (quoting Shakespeare, of course). In other words, the renovation of Pillsbury Hall for English has begun! (Thanks to the State of Minnesota funding $24 million for the project in spring 2018.)

The department recently was shown the architects’ schematic designs, an exciting step forward: there were the offices and classrooms, the student study areas, the amazing attic event and classroom space, and, yes, several bathrooms (currently the building has one set). The schematic designs, budget, and schedule were approved by the Board of Regents at their February meeting.

This spring the project enters the development design phase, in which we’ll drill down further into how spaces will operate, up to and including decisions about furniture, fixtures, and equipment. Besides English, these discussions will include CLA, the Office of Classroom Management, Facilities Management, Energy Management, Landcare, Disability Resources, Building Codes, and others.

At the same time, a committee that includes English faculty will be researching and contracting public art for Pillsbury: state-funded projects require that one percent of the construction budget go to a public art component, which opens up a fun opportunity for an English studies-themed piece of art. Use this form to share your ideas about possible artists and motifs.

In the meantime, abatement work is already going on in the basement-level crawl space and will kick in fully this summer. The construction firm JE Dunn has been selected; construction will begin by winter 2019 and wrap up in summer 2021. Details to come on a fall 2019 groundbreaking ceremony. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for announcements!

Learn more about the Pillsbury Hall Renovation.

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