Delays continue in the opening of the new Living
Learning Center due to problems within the building, said Tommy Wright,
director for housing operations.
The best-case scenario is students will be able
to move in during the third week of October, said Wright.
While the building would look complete to the untrained
eye, there are still several things left to do, said Wright.
Construction crews are currently retiling the showers within the suites.
The ceramic tiles at the lead joints were not properly installed,
causing an issue with water seepage and future problems down the road,
said Wright.
The workers go through the toilet room to fix the cracks, which is
minimizing work on replacing tile but adding to work fixing the sheetrock
walls. The painters will not complete the final touches in the rooms
until the walls are in place, which is almost creating a domino effect
right now, said Wright.
In addition, cable TV wiring needs to be extended into the remaining
rooms, said Wright. There is also more work required on the exterior
of the building.
Once work is completed, the general contractor said he requires two
weeks to complete touch-up painting, fix minor details, and then perform
a final cleaning.
After the general contractor is finished, a final inspection will
be done and the building will be habitable.
If the opening is delayed from the current projection, the housing
office may choose to allow students to move in after final exams in
December.
“Our office will assist them in moving, and there will also be
a couple of weeks time period in which to move their belongs to the
Living Learning Center,” said Wright.
As soon as the housing office finds information
about the Living Learning Center from the construction crews, they
are communicating it to the students, said Taylor L. Freeman, president
of Doughton Hall Resident Students Association (RSA) and a sophomore
education major from Kansas City, MO.
In the meantime, the office is currently planning to add to their
Web site a visual layout of the building, using digital cameras.
“As time goes on people are realizing that we will get in there
whenever it is ready,” said Freeman. “Obviously we’re
a little upset but we are dealing with it. We’re glad to have
a place to be.”
The continuing delays of the Living Learning Center have delayed the
schedule for the Doughton Hall renovation.
Doughton Hall was to be vacated at the beginning of this year in order
to be completely renovated, said Rick L. Geis, director of Housing
and Residence Life.
The Design & Construction office is redesigning the renovations,
and expects them to be completed in a few days, said Wright.
The contract documents are in the final stages, said Wright. The job
will be advertised in order to find a contractor.
Wright expects to have a contractor for the Doughton Hall renovation
within 4-6 weeks.
“Nothing is set in stone. It is all touch and go right now,”
said Wright. “We do not want to move the students to the Living
Learning Center, then have Doughton Hall be empty with no work being
done.”
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