Renovations are well underway for Dabney and Cox (DAB/COX) Halls. We are five months into the actual renovation, and here is a partial list of what has been accomplished so far.

Construction site fencing and logistics plans have been developed and shared. All students and employees have learned their way around the two adjoining construction sites, DAB/COX Halls and Woodson Hall, as there are now two fewer entrances into DAB/COX Halls.

Completion Date: February 2028

Hazardous building materials have been evaluated, and the demolition plan has been developed and approved. Exterior temporary metal stairs on the west side of Dabney Hall were constructed from the ground up to the first- and second-floor balconies. This improves both ingress and egress during business hours.

Progress: 13% Completion

An external hoist has been installed on the southeast corner of Dabney Hall. All construction materials and personnel access the upper floors via this hoist. The plywood visible in the photo below covers the windows of the corner offices and labs on floors three to five for safety reasons. Additionally, windows on floors six to eight have been removed to provide openings for construction workers and materials.

The south side of the ground floor of Cox Hall and the sixth to eighth floors of Dabney Hall are physically separated from the occupied areas of both buildings. The HVAC system that serves these isolated areas has been disconnected from the HVAC system for the occupied floors. Access to the elevator in Dabney Hall is now restricted by card access, permitting entry only to authorized personnel on the upper floors. While the stairwells in Dabney Hall must remain open for emergency egress, they are clearly marked with appropriate barriers and signage.

In the Coming Weeks

The primary construction areas include the exterior of the building within the construction zone, the basement of Dabney Hall, the south side of the ground floor of Cox Hall, the sixth and eighth floors of Dabney Hall and the roof of Dabney Hall. However, there are additional locations throughout COX/DAB Halls where construction work has been and will continue to be carried out. 

For instance, the tile flooring on most of the ground floor of Cox Hall was removed during spring break. In the coming weeks, junction boxes will be installed at various points along a vertical conduit on the west side of Dabney Hall.

Just as facilities staff conduct maintenance and repairs while we occupy the building, construction work will proceed in the same manner. If any work falls into the “very noisy” category, it will take place after hours. Additionally, if the work involves the abatement of hazardous materials, it will be approved, communicated in advance and conducted within controlled areas, in accordance with the appropriate protocols.

Communication

We are continuing to optimize our communication strategy, and here are a few components of it:

• A new listserv for instructors in DAB/COX Halls was created by the college in the Fall and updated for Spring 2026. The purpose of this listserv is to provide timely updates on what instructors can expect each week. All updates regarding site logistics can be easily shared with their classes and teaching assistants.
• Weekly emails regarding “noisy logs” keep occupants informed about the expected construction noise for the upcoming week. Any upcoming abatement work is also noted within the logs. These emails differentiate between “regular” construction noise and “very” noisy work, the latter of which often occurs after hours or on weekends. If occupants experience disruptive noise, they have several contacts available to help address the situation quickly.
• We communicate upcoming outages to many of our listservs as soon as we have official confirmation. So far, we have experienced three major outages: one during winter break, another during spring break, and a five-day domestic water outage in February. Additionally, there is a Google document that provides up-to-date outage information, as well as a construction calendar that department members can check and subscribe to.