This week, Summit Hall had locks installed on the bathroom doors, which was “overlooked” during initial construction, Director of University Housing Tom Kane said.
University Housing is also replacing some carpet in hallways in Newland and Appalachian Panhellenic Hall during the next few months, continuing to add bottle fill stations in each hall so each building has at least one, add a few ice machines to some halls each year and respond to basic work orders daily as they come in, Kane said.
“This is all pretty routine stuff as we work to keep the halls in good condition,” he said.
The money for the majority of these projects comes out of our operating budget, which comes from students paying rent to live on-campus, Kane said.
Large renovation projects are done with Bonds, which the university must repay over 30 years.
Over Winter Break, housing plans to paint the public areas in Summit Hall to cover the bare concrete.
Over the last nine months, housing has been doing maintenance work on 12 residence halls.
The work includes, but is not limited to, new furniture, carpet replacement, windows, and kitchens and study lounges updates.
New TV Monitors were just installed at the following halls for residents to use them for school projects: Cannon, Hoey, Frank, Bowie, Justice, Mountaineer, Summit, App Heights, Cone and Lovill.
Freshman exercise science major Erin Yacuzzo, who lives in Coltrane, said the study area in the connector is good because of the long walk to the library, especially when it’s dark and cold.
“It’s nice to have the connector to study,” Yacuzzo said.
Yacuzzo said renovations to the kitchen will help prevent the “awkwardness” of going to a different floor to use the kitchen.
“Also, older appliances aren’t helpful,” she said.
Freshman business major Kayla Reed, who lives in Coltrane, said she uses the individual rooms in the study area in the connector, especially during quiet hours.
Renovations to the kitchen area will also help alleviate the large number of people on the 7th floor, she said.
“I definitely think it’ll be good,” Reed said.
Story: KELLI STRAKA, News Reporter