The Patton College will have most classes in Tupper Hall while offices will be temporarily relocated to Lindley Hall.
For the next year and a half, students in Ohio University’s Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education will attend classes in Tupper Hall while McCracken Hall undergoes nearly $33 million in renovations.
Starting in May, most classes for the college will be held in Tupper, located on University Terrace across from Ellis Hall, while offices will be located in Lindley Hall, located on Court Street next to Bentley Hall.
“With the renovation beginning this June, we are building for our future and creating an attractive, flexible environment for formal and casual learning,” Renée A. Middleton, dean of the college, said in a statement. “Our temporary relocation for the next two years is vital to achieve progress and innovation.”
Officials from the college said they do not expect the relocation to pose too many problems.
“Tupper Hall was recently renovated so the classrooms are in better condition,” said Glenn Doston, professor emeritus and special assistant to the dean. “We think it will be an adjustment, but there should be no major challenges.”
Both Lindley and Tupper Halls are currently under construction.
During the relocation, McCracken will receive its first ever renovation, according to a previous Post article. The building was constructed in 1959 and still has many of its original systems, which prompted the board to approve the project in June 2014.
“It is outdated, and it needs upgraded in just about every area,” said Kimberly Barlag, communication and design specialist for the college.
The renovations are expected to cost nearly $33 million, which will be funded with about $11 million in gifts, about $21 million from borrowed funds and $1 million from college monies, as approved at the board’s March 2015 meeting.
The renovated building will house all of the college’s programs including Human and Consumer Sciences and Recreation and Sport Pedagogy, which are currently located in Grover Center.
“Once this renovation is over, all of our programs will be under one roof,” Barlag said.
The updated hall will have around an additional 35,000 gross square-feet of space and will include renovated classrooms, a demonstration kitchen and computer labs.
Part of the renovation includes the remodeling of the fourth floor, which currently serves as an attic, Barlag said.
“With new labs, classrooms, project rooms, state-of-the-art technology, a living green roof and a student lounge — among other additions — the 'new McCracken' will continue to provide opportunities for scholarship and help students achieve academic success,” Middleton said.
According to the board’s June 2014 agenda, renovations are projected to be complete by December 2016. The college expects to reoccupy McCracken in January 2017, Barlag said.
“It should be a positive thing that even though it’s going to be a little bit of an inconvenience for a couple years, it’s going to be well worth it,” Barlag said. “The incoming students will be some of the first students to graduate from the new McCracken.”
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