President Roderick McDavis and other top Ohio University officials held an open discussion on how construction projects will change the appearance of Athens’ campus.
The discussion was a review of construction projects already approved by the Board of Trustees, OU’s governing body.
“It was really the idea of the Emeriti Association that wanted to get updated on the campus,” McDavis said.
The association is a non-profit group for retired OU faculty and staff. In attendance were about 50 faculty members and 10 students.
“We want to maintain as best we can the current look of our campus. That’s very, very important to maintain that,” McDavis said.
Association representatives meet with McDavis once every semester, but wanted to hold a meeting that would be accessible to everyone, said Dru Evarts, association president.
Repairs to Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium, Cutler, Wilson, McGuffey and Chubb Halls will begin during the summer, said Harry Wyatt, associate vice president for architecture, design and construction.
Construction on Tupper and Lindley Halls began this week, as discussed in the forum and in a conference call between Facilities representatives and media outlets.
Construction on those halls will be completed in a year, Wyatt said.
Two new elevators will be installed in Lindley. Its current one elevator prohibits persons with disabilities from traveling to more than 65 percent of the building, Wyatt said.
Lindley, located on Court Street, and its adjacent park have been surrounded in fencing. The park area will be used as a construction preparation space.
Lindley’s heating and air conditioning systems, which contributed to its closing in 2013, will also be overhauled.
Lindley updates will cost $10.9 million, $4 million coming from university debt, $2 million from state funds and the rest from university reserves.
Tupper Hall, located on University Terrace, will also have changes this summer.
“We will be doing a complete rehabilitation of the entire building,” Wyatt said.
Most of the reconfigured spaces will be used as classrooms.
Tupper construction will cost $10 million, $7 million from university bond funding and $3 million from state funds.
The Patton College of Education will move from its home in McCracken Hall, on East Green, to occupy the renovated Lindley and Tupper spaces. McCracken will be renovated at a future date, not yet set.
This article originally appeared in print under the title "Pres. looks to improve, but keep OU’s ‘current look’ "
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