With less than 50 days remaining for students to move back on campus, Ball State University facilities, planning and management is giving all it's got to have the Thomas J. Kinghorn Residence Hall open by the start of the Fall Semester.
Kinghorn Hall will be occupied in the fall, despite of issues that could slow down the project, Jim Lowe, director of engineering, construction and operations, said.
"With any construction project, there are issues you have to work around with," he said. "Kinghorn Hall is to be occupied in the Fall Semester, so work will be done for the Fall Semester."
Despite the rain two weeks ago and the current heat, construction continues, with the crew coming in as early as 7:30 a.m. and leaving as late as 9 p.m., construction worker Carl Williams said.
"We have been putting the roof in the past few days," he said. "But the rain slowed us down, every two days we completed what could have been done in one."
Lowe emphasized that work on all construction due by the fall will be on time, even if they have to make changes and add working hours.
"We would never be in that position [of not having the project done in time], we monitor along the way and adjust schedules accordingly, so if everybody has to work extra time throughout the week, whether it be double shifts or work on weekends, but the goal remains the same, and that is: they'll occupy the building," he said.
Kinghorn Hall was in its final stages of construction in May, according to a Ball State Daily News article. Workers were expected to spend the summer working on touch-ups, like connecting the wireless Internet, hanging transmitters and testing the cable system. In the article, Lowe also said landscaping around Kinghorn Hall is expected to be completed by Aug. 1.
Kinghorn Hall, named after Ball State's vice president of business affairs who stepped down from his position in June 2009, started going under renovations March 2008, with a total cost of $35.6 million. The building will house about 600 students, with 90 more beds than Park Hall. It will also have a multipurpose room, convenience store and a fitness area.
Alan Hargrave, director of housing and residence life, said Kinghorn Hall was full within the first few days of room sign-ups. The suites filling up quickly shows that the new hall is attractive to students, he said.
But in order for students to have the opportunity to live in the hall, rescheduling and planning will be done to have the project on time, Lowe said.
"We monitor the schedule for the project and when there are opportunities or we need to modify the work schedule, that's done so we can complete projects on time," he said. "We will make the date; we will find ways to do that."
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