Construction Progresses on Naugatuck Valley Health Sciences Building
WATERBURY, Conn. — Work is currently underway to expand and revitalize Naugatuck Valley Community College’s (NVCC) Founders Hall in Waterbury. Upon completion, the hall will serve as the new home for the college’s Center for Health Sciences. The $44 million project will include more than 85,000 square feet of comprehensive renovations and additions, creating a new facility to house a variety health sciences programs.
After its overhaul, Founder’s Hall will contain specialized nursing, emergency medical technician, diagnostic imaging, physical therapy, surgical technician, respiratory therapy and home care programs. Patient simulator labs, classrooms, faculty and administrative offices, computer labs, student study areas, a collaborative learning classroom, a lecture hall and a multipurpose room with seating for more than 300 will also be included. As well as NVCC students, the new and improved building will also serve nursing students from nearby Western Connecticut State University and the University of Connecticut-Waterbury campus.
Moser Pilon Nelson of Wethersfield, Conn., was selected to design the project in association with RCG Architects of Baltimore. The two firms were tasked with reinventing the existing Founders Hall, built in 1962, to meet modern educational needs and requirements. Along with educational improvements, this will also include integrating energy-efficient technology such as LED lighting. The building is designed to meet LEED Silver certification.
“The NVCC Center for Health Services will bring a sense of powerful completion to the east end of our Waterbury campus,” NVCC President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D., said in a statement. “NVCC’s Allied Health programs are outstanding and deserve the additional support and better space that the new building will provide.” De Filippis added that the project received the support of both Governor Dannel Malloy and the state legislature, signifying “faith in the good work we do at the college and the importance of allied health careers to our state and service region.”
The State Bond Commission approved a $39 million allocation for the project in January 2015. However, the project was first set in motion in 2008 as part of the state’s capital improvement plan. An initial $4.47 million bond was approved in August 2011. Project pre-design kicked off in early 2013, during which time the Moser Pilon Nelson team met with various stakeholders to determine the most effective design. The project’s official groundbreaking took place in April.
“This is all about investment in our future,” said Governor Malloy at the groundbreaking ceremony. “Founders Hall and its new iteration itself will represent real opportunities for people to brush up on their skillset, to get a new degree or a new certification in a field that is growing very, very rapidly.” The governor noted that community colleges in particular are important to Connecticut’s future because most graduates remain in the state, thus strengthening the workforce.
Construction is currently scheduled for completion in mid 2017. The Morganti Group of Danbury, Conn., is managing construction, while A/Z Corporation of North Stonington, Conn., is providing construction administration services.