Built in 1968, Fenzel House has 89 rooms and previously housed first-year students.
Beds in Ohio University's Fenzel House lie unoccupied, showers go unused and hallways sit empty each day.
This academic year, Fenzel is empty and no OU students call the South Green residence hall home.
“We consolidate vacancies as part of our occupancy management to ensure that we’re maximizing our utilization of Housing and Residence Life facilities,” Pete Trentacoste, executive director of Housing and Residence Life, said in an email. “We don’t want to have a situation where a building only has 10 residents out of 100.”
Built in 1968, Fenzel House has 89 rooms with 114 beds and previously housed first-year students.
“With the addition of Phase I residence halls, we knew that we would be able to fill all available space with the exception of a little over 100 beds, which is how we were able to leave Fenzel vacant this year,” Trentacoste said in an email.
Phase I of OU's Housing Development Plan included the opening of four new residence halls — Carr, Luchs, Sowle and Tanaka — in addition to the learning commons on South Green.
Trentacoste said he's "100 percent confident" that the next academic year Fenzel will be occupied by students because Jefferson Hall will be closing for a year due to renovations.
The only other residence halls that sit empty on OU's campus are Cady Hall, Foster House and Brough Hall on South Green, but they will be demolished in the spring, Trentacoste said in an email. All other residence halls are open and occupied.
Some students who live on South Green are aware of the vacant dorms and believe the university should be using them.
“I lived in Foster House last year, which is also empty, and I feel that we should utilize the dorms that are closed,” Hannah Siekemeyer, a sophomore studying health services administration who lives in Weld House on South Green, said.
Victoria Hazell, a sophomore studying women’s, gender and sexuality studies, said she knew Fenzel was empty this year.
“I’ve just heard rumors that there is asbestos in the walls,” Hazell, who also lives in Weld House, said. “I know a majority of South Green has that and you can live with it.”
No resident assistants were hired to work in Fenzel during last year's RA selection process, Trentacoste said in an email. Last year, three RAs were in Fenzel.
According to a campus-wide email sent to students Oct. 30, the Department of Housing and Residence Life is offering temporary housing in Fenzel House during winter break. Housing for fathers during Dads Weekend will also be available in Fenzel this upcoming weekend, with more than 100 dads signed up.
Fenzel remains locked at all times, and utilities including water, electric and heat are on, Steve Mack, director of OU Facilities Management, said in an email.
The maintenance crew cleans the building after it has been used and when Fenzel is not in use, the crew works throughout South Green, filling in as needed, Mack said in an email.
@megankhenry
