Kerry O'Leary
Plan for the future.
RESIDENCE HALLS
As the Owner's Representative and Project Manager for the new St. Gregory and St. Gertrude residence halls, O’Leary oversaw the development of the first two dorms in a long-term campus master plan. The 84,800-square-foot project, completed in Fall 2023, added housing for 320 students while creating modern communal spaces designed to support both social interaction and studying. Responsibilities also included coordinating communication across faculty, staff, and students, providing regular project updates, managing logistics during construction, and helping build excitement for the new residences throughout the campus community.
DINING HALL EXPANSION
Served as Owner’s Representative and Project Manager for the first two residence halls delivered as part of a long-term campus master plan at St. Gregory and St. Gertrude Residence Halls. The 84,800-square-foot project was completed in Fall 2023 and added housing for 320 students, along with modern communal spaces designed to support both social engagement and academic study.
Key contributions included:
-
Oversaw end-to-end project execution as Owner’s Representative across design, construction, and occupancy phases
-
Coordinated communication between faculty, staff, students, and executive leadership to ensure alignment and transparency throughout the project
-
Delivered regular project updates to senior leadership and managed stakeholder expectations during construction
-
Conducted frequent site visits (multiple times per week) and maintained daily coordination with the on-site construction supervisor
-
Managed construction logistics and field coordination to support schedule adherence and issue resolution
-
Partnered with the marketing team to build campus-wide engagement and excitement around the new residence halls
ATHLETICS
-
Value Engineering: Led a comprehensive value-engineering review of a planned tennis facility after significant post-COVID construction cost escalation delayed groundbreaking. Evaluated cost-saving alternatives including EIFS in place of stone above 7 feet, revised lintel systems for Gothic arches, and a simplified entrance design.
-
Logistics Coordination: Phased construction of a new track and turf field to accommodate athletic team schedules and minimize the need for off-campus practices and events.
-
Deferred Maintenance Analysis: Conducted a comparative study of white TPO roofing versus spray foam roofing systems for an athletic facility, providing long-term cost and performance insights for future capital planning.
-
Emergency Reconstruction: Coordinated the immediate rebuild of a baseball dugout following tornado damage to restore safe functionality for athletic operations.
Performing Arts & Events
Led early-stage planning for a new visual and performing arts center serving the greater Gaston County community in Belmont.
O’Leary began by researching regional theater and performing arts statistics to inform programming, seating capacity, and fundraising strategy. This work helped shape the vision for a 1,000-seat performance venue in collaboration with an architect during conceptual design.
Key contributions included:
-
Developed initial feasibility research using regional arts and theater data to support project justification
-
Partnered with an architect on conceptual planning, including a 1,000-seat performance hall and supporting spaces
-
Led a site selection process evaluating 12 locations, narrowing to 4 finalists for stakeholder review and voting (college, community, and monastery partners)
-
Collaborated with a preconstruction manager to guide early site planning, building placement, and construction strategy to reduce risk of late-stage value engineering within a constrained budget
-
Worked with College Advancement to support donor engagement and with marketing to develop philanthropic materials, including videos and brochures
Washington DC, Capitol Hill Houses Renovated for Residences
Belmont Abbey College launched the American Semester at the Belmont House, a Washington, D.C.–based academic and formation program designed to prepare students for principled leadership and engagement in public policy. O’Leary served as Project Manager for the full renovation of 207 3rd Street, transforming the historic property into six student apartments.
These photos document the complex process of lowering the basement level to create sufficient ceiling height for an additional apartment. Originally built in 1890, the structure required extensive underpinning, specialized footer details, and the integration of new and updated utilities throughout the property. Managing construction in Washington, D.C., presented unique logistical and regulatory challenges that created valuable learning opportunities.
Located between the renovated properties is 205 3rd Street, the Belmont Abbey House. As the program continues to expand, 203 3rd Street is scheduled for a full interior renovation to accommodate additional students.
Featured projects as Project Manager & Interior Space Planner
FLYING HORSE FARMS CAMP
The Paul Newman Association, The Hole in the Wall Camp, gives children the opportunity to restore hope, rebuild confidence, and recapture the joys of childhood through therapeutic recreation programs. As Project Manager, O’Leary’s role extended beyond design and construction to securing donations of architectural products from key companies to support the camp’s development. These efforts helped keep the project on schedule during the recession, when limited funding might otherwise have delayed construction. The animation played a critical role in communicating the vision for the 200-acre camp and helping raise the $20 million needed for its construction and operation.
BROAD & HIGH MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT
The commercial building of this mixed-use project has 25,000 square feet on three floors of office space and 8,500 square feet of first floor retail. NBC4, Cafe Lola, The Original Soupman, McCormick & Schmidts (2-story), Dunkin' Donuts, Paul Werth & Associates, The Robert Weiler Group and a dental suite. As the architectural representative for the development company, we could show potential tenants how their space would layout and what their signage would look like in customized renderings. We worked with the leasing department performing BOMA calculations.
Casto and Orange Barrel Media joined forces with seven signage partners (Kroger, Huntington Bank, OSU Medical Center, Nationwide Insurance, AT & T and Anheuser-Busch) to advertise on this NY Times Square style visual array of scrolling digital animation.