Repairs to the roof, heating and cooling systems, and fire alarms are coming to the Kennedy Museum of Art.
The museum, located in The Ridges' largest building since 1996, is getting $2.7 million for the repairs, Ohio University announced in a news release.
Ed Pauley, the museum's director, said in the release that the repairs are critical for protecting the museum's art collections. The repairs come in addition to a relatively recent replacement of the museum's chairlift, and the installation of a café in 2011.
"If you've never been to a museum, you don't really know what to expect," Pauley said in the release. "And we're in Southeast Ohio, and for a lot of the people, this may be their first opportunity to go into a museum. It sort of creates a gateway to a level of comfort."
The repairs are funded by state capital appropriations allocated in the spring by a statewide commission OU President Roderick McDavis chaired. They'll take place over the next year.
The repairs are the latest in a string of moves by OU that suggest the university is moving toward preserving The Ridges. The university release announcing the improvements noted that The Ridges Master Plan committee will consider the Athens community's "emotional relationship" with The Ridges.
The committee is tasked with creating a plan outlining The Ridges future by next spring.
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