Ohio University has budgeted $300,000 to do patch work on some of The Ridges buildings by the end of winter to stabilize them.
It won’t be a permanent fix, but part of the Ridges may be getting some patchwork, hopefully by the end of winter, said Shawna Bolin, co-chair of the Ridges Master Plan Committee.
Ohio University has budgeted $300,000 do some “stabilization” projects, which will include working on the gutters, patching parts of the roofs and stopping water infiltration in some of the buildings, Bolin said.
“We didn’t want to go through another winter without doing anything,” Bolin said. “And if we could get water from getting in the buildings, we would be doing good.”
Bolin said the patchwork would likely stabilize the buildings for about two years. The university hired the consultant firms Schooley Caldwell Associates and MKSK to develop a master plan for the buildings and the grounds, which will suggest how the buildings can best be utilized and maintained, she said.
In the meantime, Bolin said the patches will allow some of the facilities to maintain their current upkeep.
“It’s picking specifically those buildings we know without a shadow of a doubt will have some adaptable use and protecting them so we can save ourselves some time,” she said.
Bolin said first priority will be given to the Kirkbride buildings, specifically buildings two, three and four, that need repairs.
A feasibility schedule will be laid out in the coming months, she said. They are still finalizing plans and need to receive bids for the projects, but Bolin said the goal is to begin work as soon as possible.
“There’s always that contingency factor,” Bolin said. “When you actually go in to do the work you never know what you may run in to, but this is what has been recommended.”
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