A classroom door in the basement of LaFollette Complex was decorated Tuesday with a hand crafted sign announcing, "Welcome Back."
After weeks of vacancy following a Nov. 19 fire, the area was reopened Monday to Ball State University students.
Kevin Kenyon, associate vice president of facilities planning and management, said damages caused by the fire cost the university less than $100,000 in repairs. These repairs included replacing ceiling tiles, cleaning the carpeting and lighting, and repainting affected classrooms and hallways. Two classrooms also received new computers as part of mechanical repairs.
Kenyon said the majority of the cleanup was completed by the week after Thanksgiving. The decision to relocate classrooms through the end of the semester was made to allow time for odors from the fire to dissipate.
"It's refreshed and a lot brighter and cleaner," Kenyon said. "The English department worked very well with us. Everyone did a lot to get the space back together."
English professor Bill Holbrook and his class were relocated to the Robert Bell Building following the fire last semester. After visiting LaFollette's renovated basement earlier this week, Holbrook said he was pleased with the repairs.
"The rooms seem more than adequate for what the department needs," Holbrook said.
Freshman Michelle Nunley, who lives in LaFollette Complex, said she noticed subtle updates to the basement and appreciated the convenient location of the classrooms, compared to the Robert Bell Building last semester.
"It's nice to be able to come right down to class instead of walking further," Nunley said.
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