Campus construction projects for 2025-26 academic year

The Gallaudet campus is always evolving to meet the needs of our students, faculty, and staff. Several construction projects will take place during the 2025-26 academic year. Learn more below.

Funding Construction Projects

Ever wonder how Gallaudet funds large construction projects? In general, Gallaudet University does not use its general operating budget to fund major construction. Instead, we request additional appropriations from Congress or we raise funds through campaigns. 

When making specific appropriations requests from Congress, that funding is separate from our general budget. Once received, appropriations cannot be used for any other purposes than the construction site they’ve been designated for.

Research and Innovation Hub

September 2025 to Spring 2027

The Merrill Learning Center (MLC), situated in the middle of the Gallaudet mall, has been closed since 2019. Soon, a major renovation will begin. Over the course of a year and a half, the former MLC will transform into a groundbreaking academic and social space called the Research and Innovation Hub.

The new building will have a lower profile, improving sightlines across the Mall. It will also add more greenery and gathering spaces, creating more opportunities for connection.

Abatement will begin in early fall of 2025. The process will remove hazardous materials and make the site safe for renovation. For safety reasons, Gallaudet asks that no student, faculty, staff, or visitor enters the site after abatement begins.

We anticipate that demolition will begin in late 2025 or early 2026. Renovation will start soon after, running until spring 2027. When it is finished, Gallaudet will look even more beautiful, and our community will have a new space to enjoy. It will be worth the wait! 

Elstad Auditorium

October 2025 to Fall 2026

After the upcoming Deaf Way Film Festival finishes, Elstad Auditorium will close for much-needed updates. The HVAC and electrical wiring will be overhauled to modernize the systems. In addition, a new accessible toilet room will be added.

Elstad will re-open before the 2026-27 school year begins in fall of 2026.

Appleby Building Demolition

October 2025 to February 2026

The Appleby Building was the former home base for the Gallaudet Department of Transportation. It is now being removed as part of the larger 6th Street development project. The building is scheduled for demolition this fall, with work to be completed by February 2026.

The project will offer new vistas into Gallaudet’s historic campus from the 6th Street corridor. The removal of the dilapidated structure will also help to reduce our operative and maintenance costs. 

Carlin Hall

May 2026 to Summer 2026

Carlin Hall is the largest dormitory building on campus and has been long overdue for an infrastructure upgrade. It is currently closed, with demolition work underway.

The updates will improve building systems such as fan coil units, plumbing stacks, elevators, and electrical systems, as well as updating interior finishes. Carlin Hall will reopen in the summer of 2026.

Louise B. Miller Memorial Pathways & Garden

February 2026 to Fall 2026

The Louise B. Miller Pathways and Gardens will honor a proud mother who fought for the rights of Black Deaf children. It is funded by a portion of the Necessity of Now campaign, the largest fundraising drive in Gallaudet history. 

Located on the historic site of the Kendall School Division II for Negroes, the memorial will honor the legacy of Black Deaf contributions to Gallaudet.

On October 23, 2025, during Homecoming Week, Gallaudet will host a site dedication ceremony. Groundbreaking will commence in February 2026, and construction will wrap up during the fall of 2026.

Fowler Hall

In Progress, Expected Completion in December 2025

In January 2025, a pipe burst in the northwest corner of Fowler Hall, causing significant internal damage. The building has been closed since February 2025, and Gallaudet has been working diligently to secure funding for the large-scale repairs needed.

In addition to repairs, renovations will also take place on the 3rd and 4th floors, completing a previous project to upgrade the interior finishes to match those of the 1st floor. The repairs and renovations are expected to be completed in December, and the building will reopen in January 2026.

Edward Miner Gallaudet Residence (“House One”)

Completed August 2025

House One is one of the oldest buildings on campus. Built in 1868, it is well known in the Deaf community for being the residence of Gallaudet presidents. The two-and-a-half-story, brick and brownstone residence was designed in the Victorian Gothic style. 

House One is listed as an individual historic landmark in the DC Inventory of Historic Sites, as well as in the National Register of Historic Places (HRHP).

Because House One is a designated historic site, Gallaudet must follow preservation guidelines that keep it well maintained. Recent renovations updated the HVAC system and internal wiring, installed new windows, along with interior improvements.

The Gallaudet Archives assisted with the renovation, ensuring that some of the university’s most treasured pieces of art remained in good condition. After construction finished, Archives staff returned some of the previous art and added new pieces, giving House One new life.

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Questions about Gallaudet’s campus or our construction projects? Contact the Office of Campus Design and Planning.