Construction and renovation projects will continue for The Ridges during Fall Semester.
The Ridges Advisory Committee, which is made up of members representing Ohio University, the City of Athens and Athens County, reports recommendations to OU President Duane Nellis and periodically provides feedback on the comprehensive land-use plans for The Ridges.
The committee meeting Wednesday was held to discuss current renovation projects and future construction for major renovations in the historical part of the buildings and road repairs around The Ridges.
While much of the construction is still in the design stage and budgets are still to be confirmed, some projects will begin as early as September.
Steve Mack, interim executive director of facilities management, said there will be renovations of Buildings 13, 14 and 18 beginning with abatement, or clean-up, in October. The renovations for those buildings will cost $13.2 million.
“(The abatement will) prepare us and get us ready for the primary project in March,” University Planner Miranda Kridler said.
Construction will begin in March, and move-in is scheduled for April 2020.
Improvements for those buildings will include wide corridor space for open offices, polish and patch existing terrazzo floors, repurpose existing furniture, remove office doors for light exposure, and upgrade the plumbing, electrical and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
Konneker Research Center, or Building 25, will have HVAC and boiler system upgrades, which will start in September and is set to finish in November 2020. The project will cost $5 million. It will also have a generator quick disconnect that will cost about $285,000 and a chiller replacement. Both of those projects’ construction schedules are still being determined.
Construction to repair the circle roadway around The Ridges was approved at the August Board of Trustees meeting with a budget of $702,000. The construction is scheduled to be completed in October 2019.
Building 20 will be demolished, which will cost about $2.7 million. The space will be used for a parking lot and a walking path from Richland Avenue to The Ridges. Construction will start in September 2019 and is scheduled to be completed by February 2020.
Building 37 will update humidity control for printing services on the lower level and updating HVAC on the second level. The budget and schedule for construction are still being determined.
Discussion for the failure of the floor slab in Building 29 — the grounds shed — also took place at the meeting. The two options discussed include full-depth floor replacement and removing the structure and building connector to add an access ramp to Building 14.
The chilled water plant cooling towers will be replaced by next July. It will cost $408,700. Other projects are still in early design stages with budgets to be determined, including wall stabilization in Building 7 and roof repair on Buildings 32 and 33.
Joe Shields, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said the committee spent a lot of time understanding the historical context, parts and architecture of The Ridges when it came to planning construction.
“We spent a lot of the time … really understanding the whole scheme of this place and what it means to everyone,” Shields said.
