Significant progress was made this summer on Yale Medicine Administration’s future homes at 2 Science Park (2SP) and 100 Church Street South (100CSS), Suite B100—not only in terms of construction, but also with regard to the details that will make them great places to work.
Over the past few months, YMA staff had the opportunity to view mockups and vote on options for lighting, fabrics, finishes, and even the names of conference rooms. At the same time, plans for a shuttle stop, dining options, parking, and other amenities started to take shape.
Both the 2SP and 100CSS projects are on schedule, and occupancy could begin as early as the second week of December, says Kelly Aingworth, associate director for clinical space planning. Occupancy of 2 Science Park will be done in phases, with some staff moving before the holiday recess and others moving in January. Moving to 100 Church Street South can be done all at once because fewer people are involved.
Approximately 420 YMA employees who currently work at 300 George St., 100 Church Street South and West Campus will move to the three-story building at 2 Science Park. About 80 staff members who need to be in close proximity to the medical center/School of Medicine will move from 300 George St. to the first floor of 100 Church Street South. YMA staff who work in clinical areas will continue to work at those sites.
New Developments
There have been a number of updates and new information about the spaces at 2SP and 100CSS in recent months. Here are some of the new developments that took place during the summer:
- Staff Input: In June, YMA staff had an opportunity to view mockups of the new spaces, including a workstation, modular office, focus room, and collaboration area. After viewing the mockups, they voted on task lights, glass frosting, and fabrics. YMA employees also recently voted on names for the conference rooms in 2SP; approximately 70% of respondents voted to name the rooms after streets around the medical school campus.
- Video Monitors: Video monitors will be installed throughout the second floor of 2SP to display call volume statistics for Patient Financial Services. This will be the first time that Patient Financial Services has had monitors displaying call volumes. In addition, YMA Information Boards will be placed in all the break rooms at 2SP and 100 CSS, suite B100. The boards will provide information on upcoming events for staff, trainings, important dates to remember, and more. Finally, an interactive “flyer board” in the lobby of 2SP will provide real-time information on shuttles, current weather, news, announcements, and more.
- Other new features will include a tablet-style digital scheduler outside all meeting rooms; “white noise“ piped throughout the space to maintain acoustical privacy; and water fountains with built-in bottle fillers (2SP only). In addition, all conference and huddle rooms will be equipped with cameras and Zoom technology to provide convenient options for conference calls and webinars.
- Parking—Staff who are moving to 2SP were surveyed on their parking preferences. Their responses will be forwarded to Yale Parking, which will issue their parking assignments. Employees can choose to park in the surface parking lots just outside 2SP or in the university’s covered parking garage, which is about a five-minute walk from the building. Staff who are moving to 100 CSS have the option of using Yale parking or public lots in the area.
- Shuttle Service: A new Yale Shuttle stop will be added on Division Street, adjacent to 2 Science Park. (The street address for 2SP is 50 Division St.) The shuttle already stops at 25 Science Park, where the Yale Medicine CARE Center is located. A video monitor (“flyer board”) in the lobby of 2SP will display the shuttle schedules and current locations of all shuttles.
- Dining Options: There will be fresh food vending options on each of the three floors of 2SP. In addition, among the many restaurants and cafés at Science Park is the Orchid Café, located just outside 2SP. The Orchid Café features breakfasts and lunches prepared by graduates and students of the nearby ConnCAT Culinary Arts Academy. Other dining options in the area include Fussy Coffee, Ricky D’s Rib Shack, and Paula’s Science Park Café. There are also at least two food trucks that visit the area daily. For those moving to 100 Church Street South, The Greek Olive is located on the second floor of 100CSS, serving breakfast and lunch daily.
- Exercise/recreation—Bike racks will be installed in front of 2SP, for those who would like to bike to work. The building is in close proximity to the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, which provides a scenic path for walking and biking, as well as a direct route to the Yale Health complex. In addition, staff at 2SP will have access to the gym at 25 Science Park.
Aingworth and Karen Lettieri, clinical space planning coordinator, have been meeting with YMA departments to go over floor plans and information on the new workspaces. In addition, you can follow all the progress through the weekly updates that are being sent by YM Space Planning. If you have any questions, please send them to YM Space Planning at ymspaceplanning@yale.edu