Georgetown University began a three-year construction project on Healy and Copley Lawn in June 2024 to repair aging utilities and replace existing infrastructure with more environmentally conscious alternatives.

The project will attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy use and costs and avoid flooding after heavy rain, while increasing longevity of underground equipment, according to a statement Planning and Facilities Management released June 10.

The construction will continue until spring 2027, with the project being split between five phases, beginning with construction near Healy Lawn by the university’s front gates. In November, the second phase will begin around Copley Lawn, with sidewalks in front of White-Gravenor Hall, between Healy and Copley Halls and along Old North Way closing to vehicles. Georgetown has not yet made information on the final three phases of the project public. 

According to a university spokesperson on behalf of the Facilities Management and Sustainability Team, a major component of the project is to modernize the heating and cooling systems of the university.

“Georgetown currently relies on a complex underground distribution network to supply the buildings on the Hilltop with heating, cooling, power and water,” the university spokesperson wrote. “The Central Plant uses gas and electricity to produce high-pressure steam and chilled water across campus. The new system will convert existing steam equipment to a hot water network.” 

A hot water heating system is more energy efficient and sustainable than steam because hot water is able to stay warmer for longer, meaning the system requires less energy input to produce the same amount of heat. 

Peter Marra, dean of the Earth Commons, Georgetown’s hub for environmental sustainability, and a professor in the biology department, said that sustainability efforts like Georgetown’s are becoming more commonplace. 

“It’s critical for all organizations to prioritize sustainability. We’re seeing more and more on our campus and elsewhere around D.C., the country and internationally,” Marra wrote to The Hoya. “There is still so much more to do.”

However, Natalie Price-Fudge (CAS ’26) said she believes Georgetown has not communicated enough about the utilities project — a situation she said she finds frustrating, particularly due to the length of the project. 

“I think it is great that Georgetown is doing this in the name of sustainability, but I think it’s hard to keep that conversation going when we aren’t given much information as to what’s going on,” Price-Fudge told The Hoya.

In addition to feeling uninformed about the project, Price-Fudge said that the project is disrupting the accessibility of open space on Georgetown’s campus. 

“The front lawn is a major hub of student life and activities,” Price-Fudge said. “With the already minimal green space on campus, it’s frustrating when that is limited even further.” 

The university’s project website provides students with a map of campus, highlighting alternative green spaces. 

Additionally, the university is attempting to reduce student disruption throughout this construction process by splitting the project into five phases, which limits the quantity of construction happening at one time. Furthermore, the university is restricting construction hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in an effort to minimize the noise while students are in their residential halls.

Margot Gordon (SOH ’26) said she believes the university’s sustainability efforts are beneficial despite the disruption to student life. 

“I think it’s really important for the university to be doing what they can in the name of sustainability,” Gordon told The Hoya. “Projects like these may be annoying at times, but we have to keep in mind it is for our collective well-being.” 

Marra said that this project should be considered another milestone in Georgetown’s journey to become a more sustainable campus. 

“This is a continuation of Georgetown’s approach and prioritization to reduce our overall carbon footprint. There’s more to come,” Marra wrote. “We can all do more individually and as an institution.”