Providence, RI -- Construction of the suite-style residence facility and the Smith Center for the Arts on Providence College's East Campus is on schedule and both projects are expected to meet their respective target dates for occupancy this summer and fall, according to Mark Rapoza, director of capital projects and facility planning. A dedication ceremony at Suites Hall, a 348-bed residence facility, has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 8, at 3:30 p.m.

Rapoza said construction of the Smith Center for the Arts is proceeding smoothly and should be "substantially completed" by October 1. The exterior focus, he said, has shifted to landscaping. The dedication of the arts center is scheduled for Friday, October 29, at 3:00 p.m.

Also on the East Campus, site work has begun at the Eaton Street Gate entrance, which will be widened to accommodate two lanes of vehicular traffic. Reconstruction of the entrance, for which a new gate is planned eventually, is expected to continue through August, said Rapoza.

Rapoza also noted the status of the projects taking place on the Main Campus. The two-story, dining hall addition on the east side of Raymond Hall is on schedule for completion by the third week in August. Structural steel is in place and masonry work is well under way.

Substantial completion of the new artificial-turf athletics/recreational field adjacent to the Peterson Recreation Center is expected in late October

The College's new fire pump, which was upgraded and relocated from the Peterson Recreation Center to the Power Plant, passed several tests during the first week in July and is operational. A more powerful pump was necessitated to cover the additional 176,000 square feet of space created by the construction of Suites Hall and the Smith Center for the Arts.

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