Just months after Campus Care underwent a long-awaited facelift, a separate department occupying the same building is looking to receive possible tweaking of its own.
Ohio University’s Counseling and Psychological Services — located on the third floor of Hudson Hall, just above Campus Care — is scheduled for a consultation with Facilities Management to discuss ideas for possible renovations, said Fred Weiner, director of Counseling and Psychological Services.
Weiner said that, though there is no set date for the consultation, a consultant has been authorized already to visit the facility.
“Facilities Management is having a consultant scheduled to come in and look at the floor and offer some ideas about what could be done,” Weiner said.
He added that, even after the consultation is complete, renovations won’t begin any time soon.
“Any renovation idea for the third floor is not going to happen this summer because they’re so booked up with other jobs,” Weiner said, adding that the center must also decide how it will operate once renovations are under way.
Nonetheless, Weiner said he is hoping to see some significant changes to the center. OU Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi said he projects changes to the center could be costly, but he does not have an estimated cost.
“I would imagine it’s not going to be inexpensive. It’s going to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Lombardi said, adding that dollars from the WellBeing plan, an optional addition to student health care, will be used to fund the project.
But while plans to renovate the third floor remain undecided, Lombardi said small renovations to three rooms on the second floor are already under way.
The three rooms, which belong to Counseling and Psychological Services, are slated to be finished during the summer, Lombardi said. The estimated cost for the renovation — which will include new fixtures, carpeting and fresh paint — is $50,000, he added.
“They’re going to be doing a minor renovation that’s going to provide us with another group-therapy room and also an office for the psychiatrist,” Weiner said.
The cost to renovate the three rooms will be covered using WellBeing dollars as well, Lombardi said.
Tonya Burdette, director at Campus Care, said she does not predict the second-floor renovations will interfere with patient care.
“It’s something we’re very committed to,” Lombardi said. “We want to finish off the second floor and take care of the third floor for Counseling and Psychological Services.”
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