Residence halls to be outfitted during break

by Jenny Wilkins
THE POST

As Ohio University students living in residence halls prepare to exit the buildings for the Winter Break, workers will begin to give Johnson Hall a new look after Thanksgiving.

At an estimated cost to OU of $3.8 million, or $130 per square foot, Randy Shelton, OU director of housing and food service, said the renovations will update all of the hall's rooms, bathroom facilities, entrances and the lobby. Construction will end before Fall Quarter 2001.

"We are making the dorm handicapped accessible now with ramps inside," he said. "The first floor is set to meet those needs for students."

The project is a pilot program. OU will decide whether to renovate other residence halls on East Green in upcoming years depending on available funds and the success of this program, he said.

University officials are starting the residence hall renovations because many halls on East Green need interior changes. The plans to renovate Johnson Hall were developed by OU's Housing Department and Robert Davis, an architect from Robert Davis and Associates, the firm that formed the design plans.

OU plans to extend the outside entrances and add a foyer to the main entrance, he said. A fireplace and new furniture will be added to the lobby, which will be rearranged to create a more open atmosphere.

Sinks with cabinets underneath and overhead mirrors and heating and air conditioning units also will be added to individual rooms, Shelton said. Removable cabinets also will be provided for under-bed storage.

"We put sinks in the rooms now so students can brush their teeth, wash their face and do all the other stuff that they need to do right in their room, but also because it creates more room in the restrooms to make other adjustments," he said.

The bathrooms will have additional toilet facilities and private showers, and each will have separate changing rooms, Shelton said.

The residence hall also will have new light fixtures, carpet, ceiling, tile and painting done, he said. A guest apartment in Johnson Hall is being converted back into two rooms, creating more room for housing students.

Johnson now has an occupancy size of 108, with six single rooms, 49 double rooms and four staff rooms, said Christine Sheets, OU director of business and residence services.

Only a few students now are living in Johnson, which OU officials left open for Fall Quarter because of a larger first-year student class and more upperclassmen choosing to stay in the residence halls, Shelton said.

"I think we did our best to accommodate all the students and give them plenty of choices to chose from," he said.

Housing department officials are anticipating the project's completion.

"The particular project is directly advising the students' desires and concerns with the residence halls," Shelton said. "I think it is a solid effort of the institution to show how they are trying to upgrade and moderate the halls for today's students."

Biddle Hall is the next residence hall on East Green that OU officials are considering renovating, he said.

And officials also are considering renovations to Voigt Hall, as well as developing a master plan for construction projects on South Green, Shelton said.

Workers also will update the Bryan Hall lobby during Winter Break.

New carpeting, painting, furniture and draperies will be added to the main lobby and the television lounge, said Teresa Iles, OU manager of auxiliary interior