Students who are looking forward to moving into the freshly renovated Studebaker East residence hall might be in for a surprise once August rolls around.
The renovation of Studebaker East is taking longer than expected, which is leaving the university to prepare for the possibility to relocate students to Johnson A.
Jim Lowe, director of Facilities Planning and Management, said although Studebaker East is in its final stages, there's still more work to be done.
"[The construction company is] at the final stages of installing what we would call fixtures including the heating and cooling unit's cabinet housing," Lowe said. "They're working on installation of tile in the bathrooms, final fixtures in what would be the main lobby areas on the west side, finishing out those spaces ... the ceilings, the floors."
He also said it would be at least another two weeks before it would be clear on the completion of the building.
"The site work is underway, they're well into it - it should be another four or five weeks before they finish the site work and the whole project is at this point what would be questionable in terms of being able to open this fall," he said. "We know we'll move students in during the Spring Semester but this fall, we're probably two weeks away from knowing for sure, if we'll open ... In all likelihood, it'll be this spring."
Lowe said if Studebaker East wasn't finished in time for the Fall Semester, Johnson A would be the main backup plan for students who were assigned to live there.
Lowe said some have been under the assumption that Johnson A would undergo a renovation beginning in the fall, but that's not the case.
"Actually, when you look at the schedule we had for Johnson A, no, because the work we have to do yet it terms of design and completing construction documents and moving forward would align quite well with starting work sometime in the spring," he said. "Without construction drawings, you can't bid the project and so we're into what we call the middle stages of the design where we start design, development, maybe a little bit of schematics."
Although there is plan in place for a delayed completion of Studebaker East, Lowe did acknowledge the frustration some students may have.
"With that in mind, it actually works out well with where we're at in the design process but the inconvenience certainly is, and I'll not make light of it, is that fact that students will be moved during the winter break by the housing staff," he said.
Studebaker East is not the only building undergoing renovations. Lowe said Woodworth Complex is also having work done to keep it looking as new as possible.
"Buildings that are that age, 50 to 60 years old, it's not uncommon for the mortar to decay to the point where some of it has fallen out and decayed and softened up," he said. "It's time to actually cut out that joint and re-establish new mortar."
Lowe also said that the renovations to Teachers College is almost done with phase one and would continue on with phase two.
"Floors three, four and five are considered phase one, which is most of the work but there is some work being done in the main equipment rooms and the basement and a couple other locations but that's phase one," he said "Phase one is scheduled to be completed over this weekend, which is right on schedule."
After the completion of each phase, occupants are moved back in from various areas on campus and those on the floors of phase two will be moved into those areas as campus renovations continue.
"Some will go into West Quad in some empty spaces, some will go in other spaces, some may even go in the building that once was public safety house south of the [L.A. Pittenger] Student Center," he said. "So we use those type of spaces as what we call swing spaces so that those occupants have a home for that six-month period of time so they can function, and then we move them back into their new spaces."
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