The contractor renovating Studebaker East is expected to turn the residence hall over to Ball State in September, more than five months after renovations were scheduled to be completed.
Jim Lowe, director of Facilities Planning and Management, said the building should reach substantial completion sometime next month. The university will then be able to touch up the building, move in furniture and prepare for students to move in.
"The site work should be completed by the time classes start," he said. "If you drive by there, it looks near complete."
University officials announced in early July that the contractor was supposed to turn over the building to Ball State on March 31, but it has yet to do so.
It was the first time a construction project on campus - residence hall or otherwise - hasn't been completed as scheduled.
Lowe said all projects have precautions put in place to avoid delays, but they weren't enough for Studebaker East.
"Are there any other lessons learned?" he said. "Just work harder at those precautionary measures you have in place."
Since Ball State is a public institution, bids for projects are open to any contractor.
"Most of the contractors in the general area we know, and we know their ability," Lowe said. "If some come from out of state, as this one did, we know a little less about them. I guess the lesson learned is to work a little harder to understand who the contractor is if they're an unknown commodity."
Tony Proudfoot, associate vice president for Marketing and Communications, said in July that the university hoped the contractor would modify its work plan by adding shifts and hiring more sub-contractors once it was known they were behind schedule.
Lowe said the bad economy has put many sub-contractors out of business, making it more difficult to complete projects on time.
Proudfoot said in July that every construction project is complex and will have unforeseen challenges.
"However, it is the contractor's responsibility to manage the project, overcome those challenges and deliver the job on time," he said.
The delay affected approximately 180 students and 200 incoming students previously signed up for the hall.
Students who were told they would move in to Studebaker East had the option to sign up for a room in a different hall, where they will live for the full-academic year and pay the rate for whichever hall they choose.
The other option for students was to move to Johnson A for the Fall Semester and accept a lower rate. Those students will then move to Studebaker East for the Spring Semester once renovations are complete.
Botsford and Swinford halls must be vacated by the end of 2012 so renovations on the building can begin in January 2013.
The university will assist students to move from Botsford/Swinford to move to Studebaker East by providing free moving boxes and movers for students' packed belongings by appointment.
"Our priority is our students," Kay Bales, vice president for Student Affairs, said in a press release. "This is obviously not the outcome we wanted, but we are doing all we can to diminish the inconvenience, increase options and make the logistics of a mid-year move as smooth as possible. We are excited about the renovated Studebaker East, and I'm confident that when the students arrive, they will be as well."
Proudfoot said preparing Botsford/Swinford overtime for housing employees when they will eventually prepare Studebaker East, assisting students with moving and moving materials will cost money. The university will also lose revenue from lower room rates.
But the university's contract calls for the contractor to pay the Ball State liquidated damages $5,000 per day if substantial completion of the building isn't on time, Proudfoot said. The university will continue to have that contractual provision, as well as others, in future projects to protect the university.
Ball State will also continue to have contingency plans in future projects to ensure it can provide services to students.
"What we're looking into is truly understanding if we have the right schedule allotted for a project," Lowe said. "Which we truly believe we did on this one."
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