The Appalachian Panhellenic Hall will undergo renovations to piping this summer, said Tom Kane, director of housing and residence life.

Housing has already spent $400,000 on the former hotel in this past year. The money went toward projects such as installing carpeting over winter break, remodeling the dining hall and fixing leaks on the mezzanine level.

This summer’s renovation will begin a project that will take multiple summers to complete, Kane said.

The copper used in the building’s piping has started to pit and develop small pinhole-sized leaks that run down the pipe and cause damp spots on carpets and walls on lower floors, Kane said.

“We have to go up to every bathroom until we find the leak,” Kane said.

This means using risers to go up every floor and work on the bathrooms in sections, cutting holes in the wall and taking out the piping.

A set of risers costs $75,000, Kane said.

The copper will be replaced with pex piping, a material used in many modern buildings and homes.

As the pipes are being replaced, the existing tubs will be replaced with showers, something that has already been done in some rooms on the mezzanine level, Kane said.

Kane said that purchasing a building in need of care has been worth it and not too expensive.

“If I had a choice between if I wanted to build Greek housing or have that hotel, I’d have the hotel,” Kane said.

Safety issues have also been proposed, leading to a collaborative look at putting safety cameras in the APH parking lot with Housing and Parking and Traffic, Kane said. But, there is no timeline for the project as of yet.

Story: STEPHANIE SANSOUCY, Senior News Reporter