Posted on June 30: Alumni Memorial Hall to close for renovations, upgrades

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/alumni_hall_opt.jpg” caption=”Alumni Hall”]Alumni Memorial Hall will close in July and August while it undergoes approximately $1.6 million in renovations and building upgrades. The renovation project will make the building accessible to persons with disabilities, and bring it up to current building codes. The project will also create an appropriate setting for the University Club as a showcase dining and function facility.

“Renovation of Alumni Memorial Hall is a significant step towards ensuring a sustainable future for the facility,” says Graham Hill, president of the University Club, which occupies most of the building. “Since February, two key events have occurred. First, the University's Board of Governors approved the $1.6 million renovation project and second, a new club manager was hired.”

During the closure, heating, cooling, water and hydro will be unavailable. Under the City's public health code, the demolition of the washrooms early in the project precludes the operation of a food service facility during the renovation.

This summer's renovation project, known as “Phase I”, includes essential improvements to infrastructure, such as the installation of an elevator and second entrance to make the building accessible to persons with disabilities; the replacement of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; the complete renovation and reconfiguration of the cloakrooms and washrooms at the dining room level; and aesthetic and functional improvements within the context of the building's designated historic status. The 53-year-old facility is designated an historic building on campus.

The second phase, to occur at a future date, will include an expanded dining room, patio and balcony to the west, and expansion of the kitchen to the north.

Outside preparatory work should begin shortly, with interior work slated to commence at the end of June.

The target is to have renovations complete for the Winter Term, says Hill. When the club reopens, it will be designated a smoke-free facility.

Teresa Carlisle-Blythe has been hired as the new club manager. Carlisle-Blythe will provide management and development services to the Club through the University's hospitality services division.

Carlisle-Blythe was most recently the food & beverage manager at Massey College, University of Toronto, prior to which she was the owner of a catering and event planning business, Annabel's Catering, in Toronto. She will manage all aspects of the operations of the Club under the guidance of the Club's Board of Directors.

Photo credit: Chantall Van Raay