MassArt students displaced till end of week due to non-functional sprinkler system in residence hall

BOSTON — Some MassArt students will have to spend nearly a week away from their dorms due to a non-functional sprinkler system.

Officials announced on Sunday evening that Tree House Residence Hall is expected to reopen on Thursday as crews have been repairing the sprinkler system around the clock. Students living at the dorm were evacuated from the building around 10:30 p.m. Friday.

“The College informed students that crews have made significant progress since Friday night, and expect the residence hall will be ready by Thursday afternoon,” a MassArt spokesperson told Boston 25. “This new timeline will give crews adequate time to finish necessary repairs and testing of the sprinkler system, ensuring there are no additional issues.”

Students who are impacted continue to be hosted in residence halls made available by neighboring colleges while many students are home with family until they can return to their residence in the Tree House on Thursday.

“MassArt successfully relocated all impacted students on Friday night and no MassArt students were told to find their own accommodations nor did they sleep in common areas,” said a MassArt spokesperson.

All classes will take place as usual on Monday, February 5th, except first-year classes, a spokesperson said. MassArt will offer hybrid classes (virtually and in-person) for first-year students Tuesday through Thursday.

The rest of the MassArt campus is open and operational.

“MassArt understands that being away from a living space is a major inconvenience and disruption and continues to have staff available on campus to support impacted students,” said a spokesperson for the college.

According to a school official, some students have expressed frustrations with other issues in the Tree House building this year such as the fire alarms being activated with something a simple as cooking popcorn in the microwave.

At the beginning of the school year, there was a pipe that was damaged by a contractor working on routine maintenance resulting in water issues that impacted three floors of the building.

Also back in December a cluster of debris broke loose from a MassArt building and crashed down onto the ground.

“MassArt will never compromise on the safety of its students, and while a fire alarm can cause disruption, the College will continue to take all proper precautions to ensure everyone’s safety,” according to MassArt spokesperson.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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