The UConn Board of Trustees approved budgets on Feb. 28 for several projects including the demolition of Memorial Stadium, the renovation of Monteith, repairs on the Law School campus, and pedestrian safety improvements on Hillside Road in Storrs.

The structures surrounding Memorial Field will be demolished this summer – although the field itself will remain intact until the construction of a new basketball practice facility begins at some point in the future. A steep slope on the site will also be stabilized. The budget total is $800,000, which will be funded by private donations.

The board also approved the initial planning budget for the renovation of the Monteith Building, which will include replacing all exterior walls and windows, as well as internal renovations to improve and modernize the building and make it far more energy-efficient. Work on Monteith will begin this summer; most of the building’s current occupants will be relocated to the two new classroom buildings. Once completed, the renovated Monteith will continue to function as academic space, though specific uses have yet to be determined.

A budget of $2 million was approved for pedestrian safety improvements for Hillside Road. New pavers will be installed over dirt areas to improve storm drainage and snow storage. New lights will be installed along the road, and trees will be planted on either side. The stretch of Hillside Road between Gilbert Road and the Jorgensen was identified as an area in need of attention in the report recently released by the Campus Appearance Committee.

The board also approved funds to repair the façades of the Knight, Hosmer, and Chase buildings on the Law School campus, and $1 million to renovate the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Greenhouses adjacent to the Torrey Life Sciences Building, which were built in the 1960s and have fallen into disrepair.