Hillman construction set to finish in early 2025, still causes frustration

As construction at Hillman Library enters its final months, students say they are still adjusting to the disruptions. 

The project will “be completed in early 2025,” according to University spokesperson Jared Stonesifer, after nearly four years of active renovation. 

Renovations for Pitt’s Hillman Library began in 2021 with the third and fourth floors. The first and second floors finished construction in 2023, featuring the expanded Open Lab, the ground floor open group study area, a renovated Saxby’s cafe and a new ramp entrance on the Forbes Avenue side. 

The fourth and final phase of construction is currently underway. Changes will include “expanded and updated bathrooms and elevators, a new light-filled atrium entrance, a Media Lab ’blackbox’ light and sound-controlled audio and video production suite of spaces and a centrally located help and information desk and a Pitt IT/ULS Computer Lab,” according to the Hillman Library Reinvention page. 

Currently, there are men’s and women’s restrooms on every other floor in Hillman available, with some men’s restrooms temporarily converted into women’s to allow for renovations in the area. 

“Permanent new restrooms will be added ahead of the renovation of existing restrooms,” the University Times posted in an article. “When complete, the library will have greatly increased men’s and women’s restroom capacity, in addition to new single-occupant restrooms throughout the building.”

The areas blocked off expand into study areas and make it harder to find space, according to Jordan Villareal, a junior biology major.

“They switched up which floors had which bathrooms or which floor was more open than others, so that causes a little bit more time to look around for tables and spaces,” Villareal said.

In addition to bathroom closures, the Hillman-facing sidewalk on the intersection of Forbes and Bigelow has been closed for renovation, which Maryn Dubay, a sophomore neuroscience major, said was “really annoying.”

“It’s always the most inconvenient part for me,” Dubay said. 

Morgan Lund, a sophomore biology major, said she was frustrated by the construction noise last year. 

“It was really loud, especially on the first floor,” Lund said. “The whole room would shake, basically.”

Although Pitt provides disposable earplugs throughout the building to mitigate the disruption, Lund said she had to play music to focus.

“Having headphones on was the only way to tune out the construction,” Lund said.

The construction has especially disrupted the third and fourth floors, which are designated for quiet study, according to Dubay.

“I had a class on the third floor once second semester last year, and it was so loud. Those are supposed to be the quieter floors as you go up, and it’s not quiet at all because of the construction,” Dubay said. 

Villareal said he finds the new layouts due to blocked-off construction confusing. 

“The consistency of where to go to in the library [has changed]. I feel like I have to stay on top of what places are shut down and what places aren’t,” Villareal said. 

“Minor construction delays” set back the completion of the fourth phase of renovations from November 2024 to January 2025, according to Gina Bleck, the vice chancellor for Planning, Design and Construction for the University Times. The Reinvention page states “a target of five years is in place.

“Because of the essential role it plays on campus, Hillman will remain open for the duration of the renovation and, because of this, the renovation will take longer than it otherwise might,” the site says. 

Dubay said she hopes the renovations will offer additional space to study on campus.

“Just make it bigger,” Dubay said. “I feel like Cathy and the library are the main dedicated study spaces, so once school really gets going, it’s hard for people to find a place to sit.”

Villareal said he is excited for a return to normalcy in the library.

“I just can’t wait for when I can roam around the entire library and not wonder where the men’s bathroom is,” Villareal said.