Renovations

In addition to building new structures, renovations will be made to existing buildings. From a culmination of input from resident meetings, various upgrades and additional features have been made a priority. For example, resident volunteers in the Post Office, Gift Shop, and Candy Store have worked with the staff to request improvements and enhancements to those areas. The Grand Lodge Hall Assembly Room will be redesigned not only to update the decor, but also to offer more functionality and room for services and programs that the residents deem important, such as cooking, billiards, and meeting areas. While the area will receive air conditioning, carpeting, and fixtures, the aesthetic beauty of the original craftsmanship will be maintained and enhanced, blending the old with the new. By Mar. 1, 2001, all of the projects in the Grand Lodge Hall are scheduled to be completed.

Better acoustics, new decor, and an improved sound system are in store for the Masonic Lodge Building. The design of the new Freemasons Cultural Center and the renovations to the existing buildings were planned with the intent to enhance the prominence of the A-frame lodge building (at left in picture on cover).

Plans also include adding 200 parking spaces to the Village Green Area, landscaped to include islands with trees and flowers as a natural extension of the Formal Gardens. The focus for the walkway to this boulevard will feature a water fountain, which will be visible from balconies in the Ben Franklin Building. The paths will enable residents in the Freemasons Building to walk more easily to the Formal Gardens. The additional parking spaces, designed in a half-circle, will help to provide much needed parking during large events on campus, such as on Autumn Day.

The changes also will affect the traffic patterns on the campus. The ultimate goal is to remove the main traffic from the resident areas.

In a recent meeting with residents in the Village Green Area regarding the construction, Bro. Murphy said that he expects the project to be successful because so many people shared their opinions, making it possible to incorporate the "little things" that are so important to residents' and employees' everyday lives.

He said, "We are pleased to honor and recognize individuals who have supported our mission, explaining why some of the buildings have been named to honor donors who have made the expansion and improvements possible. We are looking forward to working with individuals who would be interested in sponsoring our mission in other areas as well."