Demolition was originally supposed to happen this summer.
Three residence halls that were slated to be demolished over the summer to make way for new halls are still standing this fall.
The Department of Housing and Residence Life hoped to demolish Cady, Foster and Brough Halls on South Green during the summer, but Executive Director Pete Trentacoste said high demolition estimates caused the department to reevaluate its plan.
“Our first set of bids came back higher than anticipated,” Trentacoste said in an email. “As a result, we delayed the project and it appears as if the new bids are lower and closer to what we had hoped for.”
Christine Sheets, assistant vice president for Student Affairs, said demolition is now expected to happen next summer.
The demolition is part of the Housing Master Plan, which calls for the construction of new halls and the renovations of others on South Green.
Ohio University’s newest halls — Carr, Luchs, Sowle and Tanaka — were Phase One of the plan. Next up is to demolish some of the smaller Back South halls in favor of a larger building.
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Besides the Cady, Foster and Brough halls, it has not been determined what other buildings will come down as part of Phase Two, Sheets said.
“That will kind of continue to evolve over the next few years,” she said.
Sheets said the condition of residence halls and enrollment numbers in the coming years will influence which halls come down to make room for the Phase Two site.
Trentacoste said the department hopes to start construction of Phase Two in 2020.
While the Cady, Foster, Brough halls wait to be demolished, no students will be living in the buildings this year, Trentacoste said, and their hall profiles have been removed from the department’s website.
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Crews have spent the last few weeks removing all furniture and salvaging parts that could be used for repairs in other Back South residence halls, Trentacoste said.
Sheets said the buildings will be off-limits to students during the year, but the courtyard space remains open for recreation.
Additionally, asbestos will be removed near the end of 2015 before demolish occurs in 2016, Sheets said.
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