Ohio University started several summer construction projects totaling about $93 million at the beginning of May that took place all over campus.
The majority of the projects were completed in August for the start of Fall Semester.
“For the most part, these projects did finish on time, and any late projects may have required additional effort on the part of Facilities Management and Safety to ensure we could use these facilities when the students return,” Greg Robertson, associate vice president for Architecture, Design and Construction, said in an email, “and in those cases, FMS assisted us with making all of these projects ready for the students.”
Projects included remodels in residence halls, academic buildings, College Green buildings and Alden Library.
Several residence halls on each green were upgraded. The overall cost for Housing and Residence Life construction on all three greens was about $53 million.
On East Green, Gamertsfelder Hall’s lobby was renovated with new carpeting and lighting. Tiffin Hall’s bathrooms were remodeled, which cost about $2 million. Jefferson Hall reopened Aug. 18 after receiving $39 million in renovations.
Daniel Jacques, a freshman studying computer science, lives in the renovated Jefferson Hall. He said he likes the convenient access to Jefferson Market, the upgraded community bathrooms and the activities in the lobby.
“It’s beautiful,” Jacques said. “I love this place.”
On West Green, Boyd Hall also received remodeled bathrooms. James Hall got a $580,000 remodel, which included a new laundry room as well as new study spaces and a kitchen.
A demolition on South Green included Fenzel, Martzolff and O’Bleness dorms, which were torn down in May as a part of the Housing Master Plan, costing $3 million.
Peden Stadium got a new scoreboard, outdoor speaker system and other repairs that cost about $1.6 million. Ping Recreation Center received repairs to its chiller. The first phase of the Alden Library renovation project began, costing $2.8 million, and the library got a meditation room on the fifth floor.
Olivia Loguidice, a freshman studying sociology and criminology, said she is interested in checking out the upgrades in the library.
“I went to see the meditation room,” Loguidice said. “Right now, it looks like a normal conference room, but I think the idea of it is really cool.”
Some smaller construction projects included improvements to Shively Dining Hall and repairs in academic buildings, such as rooms in Morton Hall.
Only two summer construction projects remain in the works and will both be finished by October. The McKinley Avenue extension is expected to be finished in September. That $1.9 million project includes funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the City of Athens and OU. Robertson said the university contributed $750,000 to the project.
The South Green Drive project will continue through October. Traffic should not be affected in the area as construction restores hard landscape materials and repairs grounds affected by the project.
For the Fall Semester, Robertson said OU would renovate Ellis Hall starting in October. That construction project will last a year and cost about $9.1 million.
