Initial site work will begin this month on Peter’s Glen — the tiered, landscaped walkway designed to connect the upper and middle campuses. In addition to landscaping improvements in the area in between Frank Dining Hall and the Dana Arts Center, which will include the creation of a new plaza at the current traffic circle, the project will provide new points of access to the upcoming Benton Center for Creativity and Innovation. Colgate University’s Landscape Project Manager Katy Jacobs detailed the project — as well as its temporary impact on the area — in an email sent to the University community on Feb. 12.
“In the coming weeks, you will see significant tree clearing in the area above Dana Arts Center — reaching behind Curtis Hall and over to Spear House. In the next two years, there will be extensive earthwork, drainage, and utility infrastructure upgrades, construction of new pathways and heated stairs, placement of natural stone cascades and seat walls, and full landscape restoration with native and adapted plant material,” Jacobs wrote. “Given the hundreds of new trees and shrubs that will be installed, planting work will take place over multiple growing seasons.”
According to an update posted to the University’s website, Peter’s Glen is named after alumnus Peter L. Kellner ’65, who has made significant contributions to the University’s Third-Century Plan. Colgate selected Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA) to design the project. The firm has worked with the University since 2016, contributing to projects such as the quad between Burke and Pinchin Halls and the restoration of Oak Drive.
Colgate University President Brian W. Casey has closely followed MVVA’s work and noted the firm’s commitment to both creativity and the environment.
“Given that this project will profoundly transform our campus for the next century, I knew we needed to collaborate with the world’s best landscape architects, and MVVA was our first choice,” Casey said.
Construction on Peter’s Glen is expected to be completed in 2025.
