Kent State’s Board of Trustees approved almost $25 million in future renovations to residence halls and academic buildings on the university’s main campus Wednesday.  

The board approved renovations to Taylor Hall that address deferred maintenance and code compliance, as well as prepare vacated spots for additional needs, according to the Board’s minutes.

The total project is estimated at $8.85 million, with the university allocating $8 million of the project from state capital funds, according to Thomas Euclide, associate vice president of facilities planning and operations.

“The overall list (of improvements) is vetted to the university and submitted to the state and then the state legislators add it to their capital improvement bill,” Euclide said. “That money will then go (toward) these improvements on campus.”

The approved state capital money only goes toward improvements of academic buildings, Euclide said, not residence halls.

The board approved renovations to Lake and Olson Halls, both residence halls, including installation of air conditioning, upgrades to heating and carpeting installation in individual dorm rooms.

The upgrades will be effective Fall 2017 and will cost an estimated $8.3 million, Euclide said.

Jill Church, executive director of Residence Services, stated money for the improvements comes from accumulated savings after expenses.

“We get the revenues, pay the operating (costs) and then put some in savings, and we’ve had that built up to address different residence halls renovations,” Church said.

The funds are accumulated over time and used toward major renovations projects such as the Lake and Olson Hall renovations and then re-collected for the next cycle of renovations, Church said. The money comes from revenue from room and board fees.

“We have to stagger (our renovations) and make choices about when we do them,” Church said. 

The board also approved renovations to Bowman Hall and Moulton Hall. The Bowman renovations will use $4 million in state capital improvement funds to replace mechanical systems and lighting systems. The construction is anticipated to begin as early as May 2017, according to the board minutes. 

The board will allocate $3 million in state capital improvement funds to renovate classrooms, offices and research laboratories in Moulton Hall. The construction is anticipated to begin in May 2017, with the research laboratories being completed by early 2018, according to the board minutes.

For more information on Kent State’s Board of Trustees, visit https://www.kent.edu/bot.

Matt Poe is a senior reporter, contact him at [email protected].