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Dustin Luca
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SALEM, MASS. – Years of planning to unify and modernize Salem State University’s footprint through SSU BOLD have broken ground and are now underway, made stronger by a $1 million commitment from alumna and Campaign Steering Committee Co-chair Mary “Midge” DeSimone ’76 and her husband, Tom DeSimone.
SSU BOLD, a campus unification and modernization project first announced in 2019, was the subject of a groundbreaking held Wednesday morning. It incorporates renovations to the existing Horace Mann building on Loring Avenue, as well as the expansion of Meier Hall on Lafayette Street to bring new lab spaces to programs housed in the building. Once completed in the fall of 2027, the project will allow Salem State to relocate its South Campus-housed programs to North Campus, unifying its campuses and allowing the state’s planned sale of South Campus to move forward.
“Today is not just a groundbreaking – it is a turning point for our campus. It is the moment when our inspiring vision for the future truly begins to take shape,” university President John Keenan told attendees of the groundbreaking. “We are here to celebrate not just one, but two monumental and transformational projects: our campus unification and modernization project SSU BOLD, and the pioneering North Campus decarbonization project, both of which represent our shared commitment to innovation, sustainability, and academic excellence.”
The groundbreaking, performed at the campus-facing side of the Horace Mann Laboratory building, also saw the announcement of the DeSimone’s $1 million contribution to the project, helping to provide critical resources that foster innovation, further enhancing the academic experience for students.
While the DeSimone’s gift supports enhancements to facilities at Salem State, what happens within those buildings is what matters most to them.
“New labs, classrooms and community spaces will enable our students to carry out innovative research and participate in real-life simulations that aid in their career preparation,” Mary DeSimone said. “This is our moment to unify the campus in ways that support the success of students, faculty, and staff.”
SSU BOLD To Revitalize Horace Mann, Expand Meier Hall
SSU BOLD will revitalize the Horace Mann building, vacant since 2018, by transforming it into a state-of-the-art facility for the majority of the Maguire Meservey College of Health and Human Services. Interior renovations will see the creation of nursing simulation suites, bedside skills and occupational therapy labs, student hubs, flexible classrooms, and more. Construction will also update the building with a newly created accessible campus-facing entrance.
The Meier Hall addition will bring seven new, high-intensity teaching labs and support spaces to Salem State. It will provide much needed modernized lab space for several programs in the Meier Hall building, including biology, chemistry, and geological sciences.
“When we invest in public higher education, we're investing in the future of our state. These new lab spaces and classrooms at Salem State will help more students get the skills that are in demand in today's economy, and it'll help foster more of the innovation we’re known for here in Massachusetts—all while supporting our decarbonization goals too,” said state Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll ’89. “I'm proud to support my alma mater as they begin this incredible modernization project for Salem State University, and I'm excited to be here to celebrate this groundbreaking.”
Payette Associates, a Boston-based architectural firm, designed the components of SSU BOLD, bringing extensive experience in science and laboratory facilities as well as building renovation, specifically in higher education and health care, to this project.
Gilbane, a local family-owned construction management firm, will serve as the construction manager for the project and brings extensive experience working within communities and occupied campuses.
“We are honored to support Salem State University on this significant milestone in the evolution of their campus with SSU BOLD,” said Justin MacEachern, Gilbane Building Company’s vice president and business leader for Massachusetts and Northern New England. “As higher education institutions plan for the future, Salem State University is leading the way in achieving climate goals and creating infrastructure to support innovative, sustainable, 21st-century education for its students.”
As that unfolds, Salem State will also begin the North Campus decarbonization project by establishing a geothermal wellfield under the faculty parking lot on College Drive, behind Meier Hall. Once completed, the system of about 100 wells will support the heating and cooling of both the Meier Hall expansion and Horace Mann building, as well as improvements to the heating and cooling of the Berry Library. As part of this effort, connections between other buildings and the wells will be installed in preparation for future projects, which will bring four additional buildings on North Campus into this system.
All three construction projects – the Horace Mann Laboratory renovation, the Meier Hall addition, and the geothermal wellfield work – will run concurrently, though their starts will be staggered given the initial blasting necessary to remove ledge for the Meier Hall addition. The work on Horace Mann is starting this spring, while work on Meier Hall and the decarbonization project will launch during the summer. All three are expected to be completed by the summer of 2027, allowing the activation of Horace Mann and Meier Hall’s addition for the fall 2027 semester.
Please visit the SSU BOLD page for more information on all three projects.