Connecticut College students return to dorm as New London church demo continues

New London ― Connecticut College students returned to their apartments in the Manwaring Building on State Street Tuesday after being displaced by last week's collapse of the First Congregational Church.Senior Trevor Vigeant was waiting outside the dormitory as soon the city announced that students, who had spent five nights at the nearby Holiday Inn New London, could return. He carried a basket of groceries he had taken from the hotel. "I'll take construction noise over living in a hotel without any of your stuff any day," he said. The church's steeple collapsed onto the structure's roof Thursday afternoon, sparking a massive emergency response from the city. Building demolition began in earnest on Saturday.The cause of the collapse has not been determined.The college sent a statement to students, faculty and staff Monday evening, thanking local authorities and the Red Cross, who provided resources to the 56 displaced students.Residents expressed readiness to get back to the Manwaring Building, as the dorm provides several amenities and modern finishes, making it an attractive option for students."I do feel safe moving back," said Luke Samton, 20, a Conn College junior residing in the dorm.Samton said the college's response in ensuring resources were provided during the building's closure assures his hopes of again "living in the Manwaring Building next year."The building sustained some window damage, which is set to be repaired this week, according to John Cramer, vice president of marketing and communication at the college. The building was deemed by officials to be structurally sound. Nearby parking used by students will remain closed until further notice.Students were advised to keep their windows closed and proceed with caution breathing outside next to the former church grounds. The college plans to change the HVAC air filtration more frequently and continue to monitor air quality on the interior and exterior of the building.On Tuesday employees from the Manafort Brothers construction company, which has been hired by the City of New London to demolish the damaged church, were focused on demolishing the sanctuary. They pulled apart the granite stones and ripped out the wooden structure in one piece. The impact of the fallen materials forced open the remaining church doors, revealing a pile of rubble. Demolition crews are expected to finish their work by the end of the week, said Mayor Michael Passero. He said the rubble would be fenced in and secured and the site would then be turned over to the church for remediation and disposal work.The church will be required to coordinate with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to ensure the debris is free of contaminants. t.wright@theday.com