Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Projects Updates – August 16, 2024

Dear Neighbors,

Thank you for your interest in the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus construction projects. We strive to keep our neighbors informed about significant construction events with this weekly email notification.

This notice provides information on the construction of the Catherine and Isiah Leggett Building, the campus library renovation in the Resource Center, and the East Campus Garage repair for Montgomery College.

Upcoming activities and information:

Library/Resource Center—Renovation

• New York Avenue Entrance: Starting Monday, work will begin to expand the ramp at the entrance on New York Avenue. This will include drilling and the use of a backhoe. A chop saw will be used to remove a portion of the concrete, but no jack hammering will occur.
• To minimize noise, excavation equipment will be electric. Drilling and sawing will begin after 9 a.m. All activities, including the use of vehicles with backup beepers, will comply with noise ordinances.
• A concrete truck will be stationed in the roadway and the sidewalk in front of the entrance and one lane of traffic will be closed. Flaggers will be in place to manage movements on New York Avenue.
  
• Exterior Work: Landscape watering and mowing is continuing. This work may occur on the weekend. 
• Deliveries: Large deliveries have been completed and the majority of deliveries and haul-off of materials will be completed via vans and pick-up trucks. 

Leggett Building—Construction

• Timeline: The construction of the building is nearing completion. Classes will begin to take place within the new building when students return to campus on September 3, 2024. The faculty and staff will be on campus and in the building on August 26.
  
• Interior Work: The delivery and installation of furniture is complete.
• Exterior Work: The fence around the project site has been removed, though the building still remains closed until work is complete. Landscape watering will take place as needed.
• Tree Protection Fencing: With approval from the City of Takoma Park and Montgomery County, the tree protection fencing has been removed. The landscaping at the corner of Takoma Avenue and Fenton Street will be cleaned and restored.
• Trucks on Takoma Avenue: A limited number of trucks will be accessing Takoma Avenue as needed. Vehicles will proceed via New York Avenue and enter the construction site from the new Takoma Avenue parking lot entrance. Upon departure, the trucks will turn east on Takoma Avenue to New York Avenue and turn right on Fenton Street.

East Garage  

• Work to repair areas of the East Garage located at Fenton and King Streets is continuing. This work is occurring on the fifth floor, the top floor of the structure, and noise will reduce as the work moves to the lower internal levels. This project is in compliance with the noise ordinances. Nonetheless, we are pursuing strategies to reduce noise where possible. Until further notice, work will be conducted on Saturdays. This is a short-term project and will wrap up in the coming months.

General Project Updates

• Adjustments to Engagement Schedule: As we near completion for both the Leggett Building and the Library/Resource Center, changes will be made to the process for the project hotline and the weekly email updates.
• Beginning on September 1, the previous hotline number will no longer be in use. For any campus related inquiries or comments, we ask that you call the following numbers: for non-urgent issues 240-567-1563, for urgent issues 240-567-3333, and for emergency situations always call 9-1-1. These numbers will be monitored by the College for communications and response.
• Also beginning on September 1, our email communications will transition to a monthly frequency as construction and completion activities conclude.

Thank you,

The Montgomery College Team