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Campus Construction Ramps up With Summer Schedule
By: Cristina Sicard
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Ohio University junior Marissa Donovan, a resident of River Park Apartments, wakes up to the noisy construction of River Gate Apartments next door. She wishes she had known about the yearlong construction project before signing her lease.
“The River Gate construction is the bane of my existence,” she said. “It happens every morning at 7 a.m.”
She says she cannot study in her room during the day. Even when she returns to her apartment in the evening, construction is still underway. But Donovan will be leaving at the end of the semester for summer break. While that will give her relief, those still on campus for the summer session can expect much more construction as crews race to complete projects before the fall semester. James Hall, Baker Center’s West 82 cafeteria, and River Gate are expected to be completed by August, but other projects, such as the renovation of Jefferson Hall, are expected to grind on.
“We’re doing what you call full rehabilitation, so it’s a gut of everything,” said Housing Director Pete Trentacoste. “Everything will come out outside of the walls, in some regard, the exterior walls, the exterior work will be done.”
The project, which was first expected to be completed by January, will take much longer as companies struggle to find skilled labor. Trentacoste says a downturn in the construction industry forced workers to look for other jobs.
But even if Jefferson Hall is completed on schedule, construction projects won’t stop as Ohio University’s Comprehensive Master Plan includes construction projects that will last decades.