UMD to redesign Ordean Court

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Starting in April Ordean Court will be receiving a near two million dollar redesign. Ordean Court is the courtyard located outside the Marshall Performing Arts Center and behind Weber Music Hall. It is often used as an outdoor route between the Sports and Health Center to the Tweed Museum of Art. According to project manager Eric Freberg with Facilities Management they have been wanting to update the court for a long time but planning only began this past August.

The project budget of 2 million dollars is being funded by Facilities Management. Facilities along with Athletics, Rec Sports, Fine Arts, Liberal Arts, and Academic Affairs all provided members for the official planning committee. Additionally there is four students representatives on the committee.

The overall goal of the renovation is, “to create a more inviting and useful space for students to utilize instead of [Ordean Court] just being a path people take to walk between buildings,” Freberg said. He adds, “the anticipation of limiting vehicular access will help define the space more as a courtyard than a driving lane.”

Currently Ordean Court is able to be driven on but it was not designed this way. A faculty member from an affected school at a recent meeting showed the redesign plans and pointed out the wear and tear the current bricks have faced. The new plan, called “The Needles Concept”, designed with help from Pierce Pini and Associates, Inc, Consulting Civil Engineers, will prohibit public driving but will still reach fire code by having removable bollards.

Top priority on the new design is moving the cul-de-sac back onto the road and more of Ordean Court turned into lawn space. The lawn space will be surrounded by bench type seating and picnic tables will be placed in one path way. Also being added is an outdoor stage for performances of many kinds.

Construction should begin in mid-April and they expect about an 8 month construction window, Freberg said. Fall 2019 should be the unveiling of a new Ordean Court .

Photos courtesy Eric Freberg, project manager for facilities management

A previous version of this story stated that construction would begin mid-March. The Bark was notified that the date had changed to mid-April and made the correction.

NewsHeidi StangJanuary 28, 2019