A mystery letter “Q” lapel pin whispered a dream about New Haven’s future at a groundbreaking Monday afternoon for a project that will transform Yale’s campus at the border of the East Rock neighborhood.
Officials at the event broke symbolic ground on the first lab and classroom building of a 600,000 square-foot “Upper Science Hill” expansion on Whitney Avenue. The new geothermal-powered complex to rise on surface lots there — almost the size of the Yale Bowl — marks Yale’s quest to catch up with the likes of Stanford and MIT to compete in groundbreaking science and engineering research.
“One … two … three … build it!” Gov. Ned Lamont called out as he, the mayor and Yale’s new president joined other officials in lifting shovels-ful of dirt where crews will now dig four to six stories into the ground to start constructing the complex…