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After two years of extensive planning, the Human Resources, Finance and Auxiliary Services divisions are relocating to the newly renovated administration building at 129 Lake Street on the Brighton Campus.
The move, which began Oct. 28 and ends Nov. 16, involves some 120 employees currently working in More and Rubenstein halls, and will provide a new, centralized space for administrative personnel while improving work flow and enhancing existing services for the University’s 3,200 employees.
Among the highlights of the new facility will be easy access to the Accounts Payable, Benefits, Employment and Procurement departments; new conference rooms; designated office space for Metropolitan Life, TIAA-CREF and Fidelity Investments representatives who had previously shared conference space on the third floor of More Hall; and a new dining facility called Café 129, which will serve the Brighton Campus and extended University community with a new eatery — modeled after the popular Faculty Dining Room and Hillsides Café — that will serve breakfast and lunch weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
“Our overall goal was to provide a new and efficient work space for administrators and staff, without allowing any reduction in services,” said Financial Vice President and Treasurer Peter McKenzie. “Some of the departments will be moved during weekends to avoid disruptions to the BC community.”
Vice President for Human Resources Leo Sullivan said his staff was excited about the relocation and the modern, efficient space where they and the other administrative departments will now work. “This is a win-win situation for these departments and for the University employees who interact with them. We look forward to making this transition as seamless as possible, and to enjoying the benefits of new office space for many years to come.”
McKenzie noted that 129 Lake Street will have designated 15-minute visitor parking spots for BC employees who need to stop by Human Resources, Cash Services or Accounts Payable. The building will also be accessible to BC employees via the BC shuttle bus service, which will include two stops on the Brighton Campus every 30 minutes.
Relocation Schedule
Friday, Nov. 4: Cash Services and Procurement Services
Saturday, Nov. 5: Accounts Payable
Monday, Nov. 7: Human Resources Vice President’s Office, Benefits and Employment
Tuesday, Nov. 8: Compensation, Employee Development and Office for Institutional Diversity
Wednesday, Nov. 9 – Friday, Nov. 11: Controller’s Offices
Wednesday, Nov. 16: Human Resources Service Center and Human Resources Information Technology
Offices and personnel that have already moved to 129 Lake Street:
• Financial Vice President’s Office
• Technology Consultants supporting FVP and Human Resources
• Treasury and Budget Offices
• Auxiliary Services
• Dining Services Administration
• Transportation and Parking
• Financial Management Systems
Originally constructed in 1955 to serve as Boston College Law School, St. Thomas More Hall, named after the patron saint of lawyers, is slated to be razed in the fall of 2012 to make way for a new 490-bed residence hall that will be constructed beginning in the spring of 2013.
The new residence hall will be the first major building constructed in the City of Boston under the University’s Institutional Master Plan (IMP), which was approved by the City of Boston in 2009. The IMP calls for new academic, administrative and recreational buildings, playing fields on the Brighton Campus, and residence halls to meet 100 percent of undergraduate demand.
The opening of 129 Lake Street will be followed by the opening of 2121 Commonwealth Avenue in March, which will house the University Advancement division after a similar relocation across Commonwealth Avenue. Both facilities were formerly owned by the Archdiocese of Boston, which sold the 65-acre Brighton Campus to Boston College between 2004 and 2007.
McKenzie and Sullivan praised Kathleen Croft, director of administrative services for the Office of the Financial VP and Treasurer, and Jan Lent, assistant to the vice president for Human Resources, for their outstanding work in planning and overseeing the relocation.
“This was a two-year effort that demanded the extraordinary planning and organizational skills of two of our best and most dedicated administrators,” said Sullivan. “They worked really hard and deserve recognition for making this relocation as smooth a process as possible.”
Croft and Lent, in turn, praised the many BC employees who were involved in the relocation, including Project Manager Tom Runyon, who, they said, “always came up with a solution,” and Network Project Engineer Dan Donnellan, who converted the staff’s telecommunications system from analog to Voice-Over Internet Protocol (VOIP).
“It is an excellent facility that will provide benefits for the HR, Finance and Auxiliary Services staff, as well as all BC employees who utilize these services,” said Croft and Lent. “We look forward to having the relocation completed by Nov. 16, and to enjoying the amenities of the new facility and the Brighton Campus.”
Click here to see a slideshow of more images of 129 Lake Street.