These days the soundtrack of life on Chelsea Square is the steady rhythm of construction — scaffolding rising and shifting along 21st Street, inside the Close in front of Lorillard, White, and Edson Halls, and even now climbing its way around the Chapel Tower as I write. Not even January’s freezing temperatures and February’s snowstorms have slowed the work.

The Seminary staff have been temporarily relocated to offices tucked in the back of Hoffman Hall (I am quite certain some of these were bedrooms many decades ago!). Our GTS signs, which were briefly covered, are once again proudly on display.

Alumni are always warmly invited to visit the Close. Given the pace and complexity of the construction schedule, however, we ask that you not drop in unannounced. Please be in touch with me directly at delashmutt@gts.edu to schedule a visit — I would be delighted to welcome you.

The architectural team from Beyer Blinder Belle (BBB) — a firm deeply familiar with GTS, having worked with Dean Ewing on the early-2000s master plan — is now helping bring long-held visions into reality. Current work includes an elevator in Seabury, accessibility ramps to Hoffman, the Chapel, and Sherred, a revised 21st Street entry, and significant infrastructure upgrades across the Close.

The goal is clear: to ensure that the campus is safe, accessible, and ready to welcome students in August.

There will still be active construction during our May intensives (including Baccalaureate and Commencement — to which you are all warmly invited!) and during Alumni Week in June. Some inconvenience is inevitable. But the temporary disruption will be well worth it as the Close is restored and strengthened for decades to come.

In a later phase — currently projected for spring 2027 — the Chapel itself will receive careful restoration: stained glass re-leaded, the organ refurbished, and, yes, even air conditioning. At that time, Seminary offices will move to their permanent home in the Chapel Tower.

While the sound of construction can feel like an abrupt alarm clock at 7:00 a.m., as part of the permanent residential presence of the Seminary on the Close I find deep joy in watching these buildings cared for and renewed. The work unfolding around us will serve not only future generations of GTS students, but also countless neighbors and Vanderbilt students who will come to love this sacred place as we all have.

More soon — and I hope to see many of you back on the Close this spring.

Dean Michael