After three months of construction, the three new student apartment buildings are on schedule to house students by Aug. 12, just 11 months after the college selected Capstone Building Corp. to build them. The new community center should be finished by mid-Septem-ber. The apartments will provide the college with an additional 35 single-unit apartments, a total of 140 new beds. The 6,300 square foot community center will give Guilford a new patio, lounge, meditation room, and a dance floor.

Although Capstone has been working on an demanding schedule, construction has proceeded smoothly, according to Director of Facilities and Campus Services Jon Varnell, who serves as college contact for the project.

“Every project has some set-backs,” Varnell said. “We almost had some serious issues with the permit process. But the construction process has been quick.”

The construction speed will not affect the finished quality of the apartments, according to Rex Harrell, the college’s project coordinator.

“All the contractors have very good references,” he said.

Varnell agreed. “I would worry about the quality with anyone else. But Capstone has done it so many times before.”

The college chose Cap-stone Building Corp., a leader in college dorm construction, to build the new apartments in part because of their ability “to deliver projects under very tight delivery schedules,” according to Capstone’s website.

About 50 construction workers and contractors, the majority of whom were hired locally, have been working on site each Monday to Saturday, from 8 a.m. until nightfall. The construction is in the “rough-in” stage, which includes framing the buildings and installing plumbing and electricity.

“The rough-in is the most expensive phase,” Varnell said. “You spend at least 30 percent of your budget on it.”

The college has spent almost a million dollars of the $6.5 million allocated to the building process.

“We actually came in under budget,” Varnell said. “Right now, we’re $300,000 under budget.”

Varnell expects to have spent about $2 million by April 18, which marks the end of the rough-in phase.

Once rough-in is completed, the contractors will begin work on the dry-wall, insulation, and other structural elements.

When finished, the apartments and community center will be wood-frame, fronted by brick veneer. They have been designed to match the architecture of the existing buildings on-campus.

According to Varnell, the finished apartments will have more amenities than any other housing on-campus.

Each apartment will include two bathrooms and a full kitchen, both of which will have ceramic floors. They will also contain fully furnished, carpeted living and bed-rooms.

“I can safely say they are a better quality than the average apartment being built around the nation,” Varnell said.

Sophomore Jo Joyner, who will serve as an RA in the apartments next year, praised construction on the new apartments.

“I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t like it. It’s brand-new. It’s right on campus. I think it’s a great thing.