CWRU has selected the architectural team of Phillips Swager Associates Inc. of Naperville, Ill., and Robert P. Madison International of Cleveland to renovate the buildings of the West Quad, formerly the campus of Mt. Sinai Medical Center.

"We are extremely pleased to be partnering with two outstanding firms on this project," said Ken Basch, vice president for campus planning and operations at CWRU. "Renovation of the West Quad represents one of the most significant undertakings in the history of our University."

CWRU has also selected the Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. of Baltimore, in partnership with Cleveland-based Bradley Construction, to oversee the first phase of construction of a new student residential village on the University's north campus. Whiting-Turner also has offices in Cleveland.

Basch said the University plans to retain and renovate the original Mt. Sinai hospital building, the nurse's residence, the house staff building and the parking garage, encompassing about 150,000 square feet, to be occupied by some administrative services of the University. The remaining buildings on the campus will be razed and the area will be landscaped.

As part of the future development of the site, the University is considering a variety of options, including an interdisciplinary health service, research and entrepreneurial programs. The cost of the first phase of the project is expected to exceed $20 million.

"We have been working closely with community groups to develop the West Quad in ways that benefit surrounding neighborhoods and the City of Cleveland and are compatible with our mission of education and research," said Jacklyn Chisholm, CWRU's director of community relations.

"This project, as well as the construction of the new residence halls, with the participation of Robert P. Madison International and Bradley Construction, are successful examples of our initiatives to do more work with minority-owned businesses," Chisholm added.

CWRU acquired the former Mt. Sinai in March 2001 after its previous owner, Primary Health Systems, placed it into bankruptcy. Another major project that the University has undertaken is construction of a new, undergraduate residential village on the north side of campus.

"This development is one of the central elements of the University's master plan, adopted in 2001, and a most significant initiative to enhance the living and learning environment for undergraduate students on campus", Basch said.

The plan calls for construction to take place in several phases. The first phase will consist of 490 beds in apartment-style units between Finnegan Fields and East 115th Street, a 1,200-car parking garage on the southeast side of Finnegan Fields and a new field house immediately north of the new garage.

Construction is expected to be finished by the start of the 2005-06 academic year.