Work will start at the end of the year on a series of construction projects on the University of Delaware campus along the South Green that will replace underground utilities and refurbish historic Warner Hall.

The construction will cause temporary closures and rerouting of pathways north and south of Memorial Hall, including Morris Library, Alison Hall, Alison West, 200 Academy, Cannon Hall, Lammot du Pont Lab and Laurel Hall. The first phase of the $18 million plan to replace aging steam and cold water lines—used to heat and cool UD buildings—is set to begin in December, with several successive phases through summer 2020.

Beginning in the summer of 2019, the renovation work at Warner Hall will also periodically reduce the number of spaces available in nearby University lots 33 and 34C.

“We’re trying to be sensitive to the parking needs in that area, but there are times where we’ll have to close up to 30 spots,” Robert Liburdi, project manager, said at a recent town hall meeting about the projects.

The renovation of 104-year-old Warner Hall is part of a plan to end its long role as a women’s residence hall—the first for women to be built at UD—and make it home to UD’s counseling and wellness services. Work is expected to be ongoing from July 2019 to July 2020. During construction, the driveway for Warner and Robinson halls off South College Avenue will be reduced to one-way only, entering from the south.

The repurposing of Warner will result in the loss of 68 residence hall beds. A plan to build an $80 million, 600-bed residence hall adjacent to Warner and Robinson halls along College Avenue has been delayed for two to three years due to reprioritization of construction projects. The nearby Morris Library parking lot—which had been scheduled to close this fall to accommodate the construction—will now remain open until work on the new residence hall resumes.

Managers of the projects are asking that departments or colleges contact them to allow the coordination of event activity with work schedules—email Robert Liburdi at rliburdi@udel.edu, or call 443-252-7914.