By Doug Graham
news@joplinglobe.com
Two future projects will make life a lot more comfy for students living in Pittsburg State University’s on-campus housing.
Paul Stewart, director of facilities planning at PSU, said that plans are under way for a $10 million apartment-style student housing complex, likely to be made up of several smaller buildings, and for a $12 million remodel of all of the existing residence halls.
The only exception is Willard Hall, which was renovated in 2000.
“We’re definitely due for it,” said Connie Malle, director of student housing. “We haven’t had any new residence halls since ours were built in the 1950s or 1960s.”
Stewart said that aside from repairs to the buildings’ infrastructures, the residence halls have remained largely untouched in the 50-some years they’ve been in place. The cabinetry and ceilings, Stewart said, are looking particularly rough.
“The renovation is truly an enhancement project to improve (the residence halls) aesthetically,” Stewart said.
New doors, floors, ceilings, lights and restrooms will be installed, but not all at once. In fact, Stewart said the project will take a few years, with work being done in the summers while not as many students are living in the buildings.
“It’s long overdue,” Stewart said, noting that most of the materials in the building, from the cabinetry to the ceilings, have lasted longer than it had been hoped.
If all goes to plan, the new complex will be finished in 2010.
“We’re looking at more of an apartment-style unit,” Stewart said.
Stewart said it’s too early to say whether the new housing will cost more than living in the old buildings, but it will offer a different environment for those who choose to live in it.
“The goal is that we’ll have several different styles to offer,” Stewart said.
Stewart said the school is now negotiating with architectural firms to draw up designs for both projects. Based on presentations from several firms, a PSU committee has recommended that HTK Architects handle the new complex, while Anderson McAdam Architects is first choice for the renovations.
Steve Erwin, vice president for campus life and auxiliary affairs, said PSU sought permission from the Kansas Board of Regents to sell bonds to pay for the projects. He said this method is typical for student housing projects, as revenues from students living in the housing can be used to pay off the bonds over long periods of time.
The bonds for the old residence halls, Erwin said, were paid off in the 1990s.
Erwin said the new building has become necessary because the school has been in overflow housing mode for the past several years. Mitchell Hall, once used only as overflow housing, is now used every semester.
Dorm suites
The suites will include a kitchenette with a refrigerator and microwave, separate bathrooms, and, at least in some cases, private bedrooms.
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