The photo accompanying the press release on the recent pre-renovation dedication shows that the word THAYER has been replaced with the words CLASS OF 1953 COMMONS over the door of the building. (The inverted display of the Dartmouth flag is understood to indicate a beverage emergency.)
One of the biggest problems with Thayer seems to be that building’s kitchen gets extremely hot. The Dartmouth reported recently that a 250-ton air conditioning unit will be placed on the building’s roof in the upcoming renovation. Reed Construction Data lists Kieran Timberlake as the architects but seems to describe the earlier full-replacement project, notwithstanding the mere $500,000 cost projection.
I assume the $500,000 figure is a placeholder, but I don’t know.
The $500,000 must be a typographical error. Perhaps it omits a “1” before the “5.” The Class of ’53 is providing $12 million, and that is not enough for the total estimated cost. The College believes (speculates, hopes, prays, whatever) that it will recoup the unfunded cost from expense savings.