Come January 2014, Bush Hall will be a model for flexibility on campus.
Renovation construction is underway at the closed dorm, located on East Green, and the upcoming changes will benefit students and staff, said Christine Sheets, assistant vice president for Capital and Facilities Planning.
Bush Hall, built in 1954, was forced to close at the end of Fall Quarter 2010 because of needed finishes and building system upgrades in addition to asbestos removal.
The entire renovation, from asbestos removal to furniture purchases, will cost Residential Housing $8.8 million, which will be covered through accumulated cash reserves from on-campus housing rentals, said Peter Trentacoste, director of Housing.
The asbestos removal, which the workers had to finish before moving on with renovations, cost $120,000, said Harry Wyatt, associate vice president for Facilities.
“(Asbestos removal) is a routine thing that we do whenever we renovate, no matter what the size of the project,” Wyatt said.
As other renovation projects within the Housing Master Plan begin, Ohio University will have to start taking on more debt in addition to these cash reserves, Trentacoste said.
“We’re pretty aggressive with the plans that we have, but I think students will be pleased with the results,” he said.
The renovation will add new features to the dorm such as sinks, new furnishings, thermostats, an elevator, staff offices and a multipurpose room on the second floor, Sheets said.
The multipurpose room could serve as anything from a student common room to a classroom, Trentacoste said.
“We’re allowing this to be a space that can be changed out with some simplicity,” he said.
Future dorm renovation projects will feature similarly adaptable spaces, he added.
“That’s the goal, to make sure this is a dynamic space that can be changed to the needs of those who use it,” Trentacoste said.
The renovated dorm will open January 2014, which is presenting a problem for Residential Housing because most renovated dorms open at the beginning of the school year, Sheets said.
Residential Housing officials have yet to decide the process to apply for housing there.
Bush is also under consideration for housing a learning community. Before it closed, Bush Hall housed the Arts and Sciences learning community, which has since moved to Perkins Hall, Trentacoste said.
“I’m just really excited to see another residence hall renovated,” Sheets said.
dk123111@ohiou.edu
