Over the summer, contractors installed new safety features at Redfern Arts Center.
The new features include additional sprinkler protection in the south wing and the third floor, replaced sprinkler heads in the north wing, a new fire alarm system for the entire building, new ceilings in the third floor corridor and select rooms to accommodate sprinkler lines, and upgraded Putnam Theatre lights, KSC Construction Clerk Colin Burdick said.
The project was scheduled to begin May 8 and finish August 25; however, the team was able to move faculty back into their offices a week early, said….
Despite being ahead of schedule timewise, there were some obstacles that occurred during the project. “We knew that going in, that there was risk being in a building that was built in the early 80s,” Burdick said. Temporary wiring, disconnected ductwork, and leaking valves were some of the problems the crew faced during the project.
The project was conceptualized in 2014-2015, when the State of N.H. and the City of Keene performed a safety inspection on the Redfern and expressed concern about the lack of sprinklers and proper fire protection.
Burdick mentioned that even after these renovations, there is still room to improve interms of future renovations. “There is still quite a bit of deferred maintenance in this building,” Burdick said. “We realize we still have quite a bit to go.”
Emily Sloane can be contacted at
Emily.Sloane@keene.edu
