The board will vote on a resolution to approve and adopt the Ridges Framework Plan, which was finalized Sept. 2, as the current plan for the facility and its 700 acres of land.
The future of The Ridges might come one step closer to being finalized once Ohio University’s Board of Trustees meets in Athens on Thursday and Friday.
The board will vote on a resolution to approve and adopt the Ridges Framework Plan, which was finalized Sept. 2 as the current plan for the facility and its 700 acres of land.
The plan gives recommendations for how the university will use The Ridges, including increasing community access, preserving and reusing the historic buildings and using the buildings or land for graduate student and faculty housing.
According to the resolution, the previous plans for The Ridges were “no longer adequate.” The university started creating the plan in fall 2013 when it established the Ridges Master Plan Committee.
OU President Roderick McDavis endorsed the plan in a Sept. 28 memo to the trustees.
“The Ridges Framework Plan has achieved a high standard in providing analysis and guidance for the future of The Ridges,” McDavis said in the memo. “Its vision for this highly-valued regional asset complements Ohio University’s historic roots and public mission.”
The board will vote on whether to approve construction and design phases for several building renovations throughout campus. The university is requesting $2.85 million in equipment for the renovation of Jefferson Hall, which has a total project budget of $44 million, according to a Board of Trustees agenda.
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Trustees will also decide whether to allocate about $1.97 million for the roof replacement of Alden Library and $1.1 million for demolition of back South dorms.
Following air conditioning problems in Copeland Hall and Ellis Hall this semester, the board will vote on projects to replace the chillers in Copeland, Ellis and Chubb halls.
The trustees will also vote on a proposed construction project that would involve exchanging parking lot property with the River Park Apartments. The project would extend Rufus Street to Stewart Street to “enhance safety and pedestrian access in South Green.”
If the resolution is approved, the university would obtain a River Park lot parcel in exchange for an equal amount of university parking spaces.
Following a review of centers and institutes by the university, the Board of Trustees will vote to continue several programs, such as the African American Research and Service Institute and the Center for Electrochemical Engineering Research.
A presentation about this year’s Clery Act report for both police and fire officials will take place at the meeting. According to a previous Post report, on Sept. 30, OUPD released its 2015 Clery Act report, which details crime statistics at OU for the past three years.
Other presentations will include a review of the College of Business, an update on enrollment and how OU fares in various national rankings.
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