It’s an exciting time of renewal at McGill’s historic Leacock Building. Renovations to the outside of the building were completed last fall, and the next phase of construction begins this month.
Since 2013, the glass-walled corridor connecting the Leacock Building to the McCall MacBain Arts Building has featured a donor wall acknowledging the support of 275 members of the James McGill Circle – an extraordinary group of donors who have given $1 million or more to the University.
The Leacock renovations will require replacement of these glass panels. The donor wall will be reproduced on new glass walls in the same location. The original, larger single-pane windows will be replaced with two panes to ensure structural soundness.
Other work on the building includes improving waterproofing and repairing the foundation. The work is being executed by St. Denis Thompson, a local contractor that has restored and renovated landmark buildings around Montreal, including the M. H. Wong Building at McGill. They will also be transforming the west-side terrace of the Leacock Building into a welcoming and multipurpose exterior amphitheatre.
Because of these renovations, McGill will hold off adding new names to the James McGill Circle donor wall until the end of construction. The University will provide an update once all renovations to the Leacock Building have been completed by winter 2020-2021.
Check for updates as we improve McGill’s downtown campus, as well as the Macdonald Campus.