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Groundbreaking for Grainger Hall scheduled for July 18 At 10:30 am on Thursday, July 18, history will be made again at Longwood University as ground is broken for the reconstruction of Grainger Hall which was lost in the Great Fire of 2001. Grainger Hall, which survived the fire but was later razed due to water, smoke and infrastructure damage, is the first of many construction projects planned over the next few years. The new Grainger Hall will closely resemble the old Grainger Hall and some of the original architectural elements salvaged from Grainger will be used in the new building. The construction company, W. C. English, Inc., will be working from construction documents designed by Moseley Architects of Virginia Beach. Founded in 1909 in Lynchburg, English, Inc., has earned a strong reputation in the area of historic restoration and re-creation, having worked on similar projects for Randolph-Macon College, the Academy of Music Theater and other high profile historic restorations. According to Brent Douglass, director of facilities management and overall supervisor of the project, "Grainger is going to look just like we remember it on the outside, only better. Inside we will have modern amenities and technological applications that will provide an enhanced learning environment." The building, scheduled for completion in August, 2003, will include 15 classrooms and 34 faculty offices. Dr. Patricia P. Cormier, president of Longwood University, believes the Grainger reconstruction marks the beginning of a new era for Longwood. "We have been waiting for this moment for a very long time. When that first shovel turns over the earth,we will be turning a new page in the history of Longwood and Farmville. Our pain from the past has been replaced with enthusiasm. We are ready to build Longwood’s future.!" In the fall, Longwood will begin construction of the Ruffners and the Rotunda--with a design based upon the original archival blueprints obtained from Richmond. Construction will also begin on Brock Commons, a beautiful pedestrian promenade that will become a focal point for Longwood, uniting one end of the historic campus with the other. And Longwood officials state that they will soon unveil plans for a new state-of-the-art science building. The public is invited to the Grainger groundbreaking which will take place alongside the Grainger site near High Street at 10:30 am
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