Photo Gallery: Contemplative Center Construction Progresses as Crews Lay Foundation



Five months after the groundbreaking, construction of the Thomas P. Joyce ’59 Contemplative Center is moving along briskly.

A house and pool that occupied the 52-acre site atop a hill overlooking the Wachusett Reservoir in the town of West Boylston, Mass., were demolished. The construction site has been cleared of trees and stumps, rocks have been blasted, gravel has been placed for concrete foundations, and water lines and a new electrical duct bank have been installed, according to John Lapomardo, director for engineering and utilities at Holy Cross.

The next phases of construction include installing foundations, underground electrical conduits, water and sewer piping and a septic system.

Plans call for the building to be enclosed in January, at which point crews from all trades will focus on the interior.

Site work, which includes everything that is not part of the physical structure of the facility itself, such as the driveway and landscaping, will take place in the spring and early summer. The project is expected to be complete during the first week of August.

Located less than 20 minutes from campus, adjacent to a conservation area, the contemplative center will allow Holy Cross to expand retreat opportunities for students while also providing new programs for faculty, staff and alumni.

Learn more about the contemplative center.