Two of the most noticeable construction projects on campus are both on track for completion by the end of 2008, according to Ohio University officials.
Lincoln Hall, a residence hall located on East Green, was taken offline last summer as part of a long-term project to renovate residence halls on campus. It will be completed by August and available for residents by Fall Quarter, said Richard Shultz, director of Implementation.
The building will be done four weeks before move-in
he said. We're right on schedule everything's on schedule.
Renovations will be made to heating and cooling systems, electrical wiring and plumbing. Most structural renovations were completed over summer, said John Kotowski, associate vice president for Facilities.
It's interior work; we've done three or four of these in the past Shultz said. We have a real good sense of what it takes to accomplish that.
The project has a budget of $7.8 million, $7.2 million of which is reserved for construction. The remaining budget will go toward interior furnishings, Kotowski said.
In the event that construction is not completed, we have some bed spaces available on campus
said Beverley Wyatt, director of Housing. Lincoln, which will house the Fine Arts Learning Community, will hall have about 165 beds after renovations, compared to 203 beds before, she said.
Shively Hall, also on East Green, is the next residence hall to come offline for renovations. Construction will begin on Shively in July, and will include renovations to a market and dining hall housed in the building.
The construction that began last year on West Green's Porter Hall is on track to finish late this fall, according to the Office of University Planning and Implementation.
Porter Hall, which houses the Psychology and Environmental Plant Biology departments and the Psychology and Social Work Clinic, began expansion last spring, despite concerns about the strength of the university's budget. The overall cost of construction, estimated at $1.7 million, will mostly come from the state.
Although construction was initially delayed because of a problem with the building's foundation, it is still on track to be completed by October of this year, Kotowski said. The recent bad weather has not had a significant impact on the construction so far, he said, and has not caused any delays.
We have really good contractors working on the building
he said, adding that they factor bad weather into their estimated time of completion.
The outside of Porter is now closed off, and builders have begun work on the interior walls. Once the weather becomes more predictable the builders will start on the final stages of the exterior.
The addition will provide Porter with additional teaching and research facilities, something that the faculty is looking forward to.
The extra lab space will be good for the research group
and the technology is going to be really good
said Emily Balcetis, assistant professor of Psychology. I'm definitely excited.
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