As summer begins in Athens, and Ohio University students go home for the summer, the university and the city are starting construction projects.
The university manages about 130 active construction projects totaling about $500 million, Interim Associate Vice President of Design and Construction Jonathon Cozad said.
Construction projects are purposely started during the summer, Cozad said.
“We try to align as much construction as possible in the summer because our goal is to minimize impact to the academic year,” Cozad said.
However, there are many construction projects that need to be finished within about three months, which Cozad said leaves a lot of work to be done in a short period.
“If there’s a drawback to it, it’s probably just that we are so busy in that time because we’re compressing so much work into those three or so months. That does make a flurry of activity on campus,” Cozad said.
Students can expect to see new construction projects when classes start in the fall. Construction will start on the new residence hall on South Green, although construction won’t end until spring 2026, Cozad said.
The new residence hall foundational work will be completed over the summer, but the construction of the actual building will continue into the fall semester, Cozad said.
A new Translational Research Facility for the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine will start construction toward the end of summer, Cozad said.
According to an Ohio University news release, the research facility is supposed to open late 2025.
Maintenance projects will also be completed throughout the summer. These projects focus on touching up and improving buildings or areas, Cozad said.
The Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium is receiving a new chilled water system which will function as air conditioning and will be wrapped up in May, Cozad said. The auditorium will also receive lighting upgrades later in the summer.
Renovation started last summer on Bryan Hall, but it will finish this season, Cozad said. The construction focused on upgrading the HVAC system, replacing windows and refreshing the interior.
The university is working with the Ohio Department of Transportation to improve pedestrian safety along South Green Drive from the intersection of Richland Avenue to Adams Hall, Cozad said.
OU’s construction management services, Design and Construction, oversees the university’s projects and manages all the construction, Cozad said. However, he said the service doesn’t construct the projects.
Athens Service-Safety Director Andy Stone said if a project is estimated to cost more than $75,000, it is required to put out a public bid.
Construction projects are advertised through a local newspaper publication of the construction plans and services, Stone said. Once the bids open publicly, contractors submit bids and the company with the lowest bid, or price, is chosen for the project.
“Typically, whoever has the lowest bid contract,” Stone said. “Not always, but 99.9% of the time it’s whoever has the lowest bid, assuming they can do the work, is the one that you have to award to by law.”
The West Union Street infrastructure and water line work will continue, Stone said.
Additionally, the Dairy Lane infrastructure work is a $5 million project that should wrap up at the end of the summer, Stone said.
Sidewalks on the cross streets of East Washington Street, West Washington Street, and East and West State Street might see some work, Stone said.
The new fire station headquarters, located at 120 E. Stimson Avenue, will continue to be worked on with a ribbon cutting possibly in August, Stone said.
The Athens City Building will have work done in the front tower and some other interior renovations, Stone said.
“The role of the government is to keep the bones of the city functional so that people can have their businesses and live here and thrive,” Stone said.
