If a state committee’s plan giving Ohio University $18.6 million toward capital repairs passes the legislature, the university could begin work as soon as this summer.
OU would like to have the repair and reconstruction projects completed 18 months from when the money becomes available, said Harry Wyatt, associate vice president for Facilities. The legislature is expected to vote on the capital appropriation in May, and funding could become available three to four months later.
Here are details about the top five OU projects included in the Ohio Higher Education Capital Funding Collaborative’s higher education capital funding plan:
—Alden Library: The state committee’s plan allocates $2.7 million to renovations of Alden Library. Although the library is hoping to carry out a major renovation soon, money from the state would go toward replacing air handlers and reconstructing the elevators.
The air handlers and elevators in the building, constructed in 1969, are about 40 years old, said Scott Seaman, dean of Ohio University Libraries. The elevators are in high demand and some sometimes get stuck on certain floors, unable to move up or down when called.
Another common complaint among students in the library’s temperature— the air handlers struggle to keep up with the building’s capacity and maintain a cool enough temperature.
“If you’re trying to get your work done and it’s 95 degrees, it just doesn’t work,” Seaman said. “We’re really happy to see this come, and I think the students will notice a difference.”
The library would not close while work on air handlers andselevators is completed, Seaman said.
—Lindley Hall: This building is slated to receive$1.5 million from the state for steam piping replacement. The steam piping in Lindley, which was constructed in 1917, helps control the heating system.
“The steam piping is as old as the building and it is deteriorating,” Wyatt said. “Right now, we’re removing and capping off sections to try to manage it.”
The building’s occupants might need to be relocated in phases while the work is completed, Wyatt said. The most likely scenario is vacating half of the building at a time, he added.
—The Convo: The roof and ramps in The Convo need repairs, and the state plan suggests giving OU$1.3 million for that purpose. About$300,000 of that money would go toward a redesign of the roof, but replacing it would cost about$3 million, Wyatt said.
“The roof is a very prominent feature of The Convo. it’s original,” Wyatt said. “We would likely look to future state capital appropriations to finance (a replacement).”
The ramps leading up to the entrances of The Convo — which are necessary because the building lies in a flood plain — need structural reinforcement, Wyatt said.
—Pruitt Field: OU would use the $1.1 million suggested allocation for Pruitt Field, on which OU’s field hockey team plays, to replace the turf and the material on the track, Wyatt said.
“The turf has got a good deal of age on it, between 10 or 12 years, and it’s reached its expected useful life,” he said.
— West Green: The state committee suggested giving OU$1.1 million for roof repairs for academic buildings onWest Green. This includesStocker Center, Irvine Hall and Grosvenor Hall.
“(These) buildings would have sections of the roof either repaired or replaced,” Wyatt said. “There are leaks and … a number of the buildings that have the historic character are actually several roofs put together, so there might be a combination of sloped and flat roofs. Typically, the flat roofs will fail first.”
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