Williams to see more renovations this summer
The west side of Williams Hall will experience a facelift this summer, so it matches the changes made to its east side last year.
Facilities Management Director Ron Doerzaph said the economy isn’t slowing down summer renovations, but if it continues to worsen, it may delay improvements in the future.
“I wouldn’t think it’s affected plans for this summer, because the only plan we really had to do was Williams,” he said. “We can only really shut down one residence hall per summer because of freshmen orientation, camps and other people that use the residence halls.”
The Williams renovation, which totals $3.9 million for both summers, includes redecorating the main lobby, making some bathrooms handicapped-accessible, adding sprinklers, new lighting, doors, beds and floors. Heaters will also be installed under the windows, replacing the heaters under the dressers.
Students have the option of setting up the new beds on the floor, lofted or as bunks.
Doerzaph said the floor lobbies may also be renovated.
“There hasn’t been a decision made by housing as to what they want to do with the study rooms,” he said. “But because of dollars and the economy, I doubt we’ll do much – maybe paint, make repairs.”
No major renovations will be made to any other buildings around campus, Doerzaph said.
“We have some spotty places we’re going to be putting in new carpeting,” he said. “This is a quiet summer, but we’re also at the point where over the past five or six years we’ve renovated all of the other residence halls.”
The smaller changes include adding a cafe to the Cullom-Davis Library, repairing floor tiles in Baker Hall and possibly adding new flooring to part of University Hall.
Renovations aren’t being made to Heitz Hall, because the university plans to turn the rooms into suites. However, Doerzaph said these plans aren’t ready to be enacted.
The new suites would change the entire build of the hall, combining three bedrooms into a two bedroom-setup with a common area in the middle.
Air conditioning will also be added, and possibly an elevator.
Doerzaph said the economy has made administration unsure when change to Heitz will occur.
However, state law requires all residence halls to have sprinklers by 2013, so he hopes for it to be done by then so they won’t have to make renovations to the building twice.
Sprinklers also need to be added to College Hall, Pi Kappa Phi and Delta Tau Delta, which are university-owned properties.
