Campus construction continues in winter

The reconstruction of Stopher and Johnson halls continues through the snow. They are set to open in fall 2006 and they will be the new site of the Honors College.

Credit: Andrew popik

From Franklin Hall to Schoonover Stadium, construction crews at Kent State have been busy repairing, making additions to and upgrading current buildings and facilities all around campus. Tom Euclide, director of architecture and engineering, said business is as usual.

n Franklin Hall is still in the planning stage for its upcoming renovation.

The project, which will eventually house the entire College of Communication and Information, has been scaled back because the state didn’t provide as much money as predicted.

“The teleproductions program was originally going to be in Franklin Hall,” Euclide said. “We had to reduce the scope.”

n The new Honors College will replace the former Stopher and Johnson residence halls in the middle of campus, Euclide said. The project is on budget and on time, though contracts for site work and the elevator system have to be bid for again later this semester because the first bids were more expensive than anticipated.

A camera mounted on Taylor Hall records the progress of the construction. The residence halls are expected to open in fall 2006. Euclide said.

n Improvements on the fa‡ade of White Hall are almost complete, but the improvements won’t affect the parking area beneath the building.

n The first stage of construction on the M.A.C. Center’s Academic Athletic Resource Center was completed, and the center is now in use. Stage two construction began Tuesday and is expected to be completed in March, but not all the improvements will affect buildings.

n Artificial turf is being installed at Schoonover Stadium, the varsity baseball field by Allerton apartments. Repairs to the concession stand, parking lot and grandstand are also anticipated.

n The Bowman Chilled Water Plant has been upgraded, as has the chiller in the Music and Speech Building. The tunnels under the school are also being repaired.

n All of this activity is not unusual. “At any given moment we have about $200 million being spent on construction,” Euclide said.

Contact news correspondent Laura Hanna at [email protected].