September marked Back-to-School and Back-to-Regular Business hours for most of the community — but not for Caramoor. We continue to 'dig in' on the work which continues on the visitor experience improvements that are part of Inspire: A Campaign for Caramoor's Future. You may have seen the messaging in our emails and as a banner on our website that we were closed to the public.
In consultation with our construction partners, and for the safety of the public, staff, and our contractors, Caramoor administration made the decision to close to the public for several weeks as parking lots and access to The Rosen House were severely impacted by construction. Thank you for your patience and for paying attention to our messaging. Please continue to visit our website for the most up-to-date information about construction closings. Please note: When/if Caramoor is closed, the Box Office will remain open over the phones and via caramoor.org. We will waive all ticket fees on any tickets purchased online or over the phone during these closures.
Construction Continues
Our construction partner Pecord Excavating and Contracting Corp. continues to break out the big equipment, laying new trenches in The Rosen House parking lots, and down toward the back entrance for electrical and other conduits for new lighting features which you will see down Center Walk and around campus.
Paving Patterns
Stone by stone, foot by foot, we’re seeing the paving patterns emerge on Center Walk and ‘walking’ east in front of The Rosen House and up towards Friends Field. Many thanks to the diligent work of the crews of the subcontractor Lospoto Landscaping, Inc. who are doing the backbreaking installation of this feature.
For those who are interested, the majority of the Center Walk is being paved with a Techno-Bloc Blu-80 Smooth Paver combining both a Shale Grey and Champlain Grey color, edged by smaller Shale Grey Blu-80 paver laid perpendicular to the walk for the border. Techo-Bloc pavers and paving stones were selected because they are designed to withstand vehicular traffic, are salt-resistant and color-consistent, and are a thick and durable product. Most importantly, these pavers are ADA compliant — an important part of our commitment to make all our new pathways ADA compliant and easier to navigate.
As you travel up Center Walk, there will be three circular gathering places that will have a slightly different pattern; this time in herringbone. One of these is in front of the Rosen House where we are expanding the footprint of the entry area just slightly. Next spring, when new plantings and benches are installed, we anticipate that this will be a wonderful place to gather and mingle before events in the Music Room and Spanish Courtyard.
Thanks to Pecord for this birds-eye view of the Walk. If you look closely, you can see the herringbone pattern in the central circle of pavers.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B21xWm4FUdN/
Even though we have closed the campus to visitors, some of the staff have skirted the rules a bit to run between The House and Administration offices for meetings. (Do as we say, not as we do!) They report that they’ll miss the daily memos about how to get back into their offices, the various barricades and cones, and the sound of the wet saws once construction moves beyond The Rosen House.
Other work has included
We have also permanently secured the flagstone path in front of The Rosen House's New Wing which was added as a much-appreciated accessibility feature in spring 2019.
Lespoto Landscaping has also started the strenuous work of constructing a stone wall that will provide a place to rest, but will also be an elegant divider between Friends Field and Center Walk.
Friends Field is currently the site of yet another construction trailer, more construction equipment, and piles and piles of various materials. We can’t wait to see this as a lush and grassy, pedestrian-only gathering place next spring.
Early conversations are underway about the various signs and way-finding you will find on the campus next spring.
We’ll be keeping you updated via our weekly e-blasts [sign up here!], the “Planning your Visit” emails, and through our various social media channels [Facebook, Twitter, Instagram]. Look for fun updates from the Pecord Excavating Instagram account too, as the work continues to steam ahead!
If we have Inspired you over the years, you can help us grow in the future. Help sponsor a NEW tree, a bench, or make a gift any amount to help with our many capital improvement projects.
Email Inspire@caramoor.org for more information about ways you can help.