GREENFIELD — Greenfield Community College’s south courtyard will be closed for roughly a year as contractors break ground on a roughly $3 million renovation project.

GCC issued a request for proposals on March 12 seeking contractors to make structural improvements to the college’s south courtyard area, including new stairs, retaining walls, and heating and cooling systems. GCC’s Facilities Management Director Jeffrey Marques said the outdoor space, paved almost entirely in hard materials, has shifted over the years, causing water to leak into the building.

“Part of the issue we’re having is it’s a hardscape area. It’s all pavement and concrete steps, brick, things like that,” Marques explained. “Over the past couple of years, we’ve been experiencing some water penetration into the building because the hardscape is shifting. ... We’ll be reconfiguring the courtyard with a new, simpler layout.”

Marques said the project involves “masonry work, new pavers, new stairs, new railings, new site drainage and some landscape areas.” The work, which is slated to begin in June, shortly after the college’s May 25 commencement ceremony, will also include the installation of new windows in compliance with the state’s Building Energy Code.

GCC completed similar renovations to its north courtyard in January 2022, a roughly $3 million project that took approximately two years to complete and was funded through the state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance. In December 2021, Marques said the college hoped to complete renovations on both courtyards, but at the time, could only secure funding for the campus’ north courtyard.

The south courtyard renovation will be funded through DCAMM’s Deferred Maintenance Program.

Marques said that although water leakage has not yet caused any significant problems in the building, the project serves as a proactive measure to protect against future damage. However, just days before the subcontractors’ deadline to submit bids on Thursday and weeks before the general contractors’ submission deadline of April 11, Marques said the project has not yet received any bids.

“It’s a place where students can go outside and get some fresh air, they meet there, they hang out there. It’s definitely a highly used space,” Marques said. “It’s one of those things we don’t want to have a concern down the road with. I don’t want to have to take classrooms offline or anything, so we’re getting ahead of it before it creates any issues.”

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.