$200 million approved for housing

GRAPHICLINDSEY SWANSON/THE LANTERN

Recent surveys of incoming students show that quality of residence halls is very important, but they give Ohio State's residence facilities lower marks compared to other Big Ten schools. Ohio State is ready to change that.

"We have hired Sasaki Associates to do a very comprehensive study and plan for the entire campus," said William Schwartz, associate vice president of the Office of Student Life. "They are looking at almost everything: the Medical Center, athletics and recreation, housing and even High Street. It's a really exciting study."

An additional $47.9 million is earmarked for Lincoln Tower renovations, but the renovations have been postponed until further study is done on the Medical Center expansion and until a less costly design for Lincoln is decided upon.

Named the Capital Improvement Project, the plan will upgrade more than one-third of the residence hall system. Many of the projects will occur in phases.

The first phase is set to improve the existing residence halls, starting with an estimated $8 million in renovations of Jones Tower on North Campus this July. Renovations include the replacement of heating, ventilating and air conditioning units and the installation of plumbing risers to improve water system, among other upgrades. The building will re-open for fall of 2010.

The second portion of phase one is set to begin summer of 2011, and includes renovation of the South Campus towers: Park, Stradley, Steeb, Smith and Siebert.

The plan, which will cost more than $100 million, will add air conditioning to the halls, renovate the bathrooms and improve public areas. After the project, 88 percent of the buildings' bathrooms will be private corridor facilities, and 81 percent of the rooms will be air conditioned, both increases of more than 20 percent. The bathrooms will be designed after plans from the Paterson Hall renovation in 2006, and will be private corridor bathrooms.

"If the dollar amount gets too high, instead of repeating the style of bathroom in Paterson, the style may be modified a bit," Schwartz said.

"All of the bathrooms on South Campus will be remodeled, but at worst some may end up with very nice community bathrooms, similar to those found at RPAC."

The South Campus towers renovations are slated to be finished within four years. To accommodate students while the buildings are closed for renovations, Campus Partners plans to purchase the Holiday Inn on Lane Avenue for $19 million.

The hotel would be converted into a 480-bed residence hall. That deal is likely to be finalized by the end of February.

During the second phase of the project, the university will add residence halls to the William H. Hall complex on 10th Avenue. One of the buildings is expected to be ready by 2011 to accommodate students during the South Campus tower renovations. That building, which will be next to Worthington Hall, is estimated to cost $33 million and house 250 students. Plans for the other building are yet to be determined.

If the Holiday Inn and William H. Hall complex expansions aren't enough to accommodate students from the South Campus towers, some undergraduates could be moved to Jones Tower.

"We will judge year by year what our actual demand will be. Because of the economy, more students could take advantage and come to college or we could see the opposite and have a decrease in students," Schwartz said.

The renovations will increase the number of students in double occupancy rooms from 69 percent to 90 percent. Research has shown that triples and quads are less conducive to studying.

Sasaki Associates are still designing plans for phase two. Ideas include creating more housing and remodeling West Campus towers.

Schwartz said every building will get renovated to some degree.