Miami University Adding Two New Dorms And Spending Millions In Renovations

BY CLAIRE WILLIAMS
Miami University journalism student

Miami University continues to pour money into construction, with more than $400 million worth of projects on the books between 2016 and 2019.

Nearly $300 million of that is going toward residence halls.

According to a Sept. 22 report to Miami's Board of Trustees, the university will spend $75.5 million on the two newest dorms, now under construction and due to open next fall in North Quad:

• The hall being built on the site of the former North Quad tennis courts -- which officials confirmed will be called Presidents Hall -- will cost $38.5 million. Plans call for 370 beds.
• The second new dorm -- under construction on the site of the former Withrow Court and to be called Withrow Hall -- will cost $37 million. It will include room for 270 students and include a large Starbucks in the lower level.

"An increase in student population has created a demand for on-campus beds," the report from Miami's Facilities Planning & Operations office said.

The rest of the residence hall budget is devoted to renovations, the report shows:

• the university spent $98 million to renovate Brandon, Flower, Hahne and Hepburn halls, all of which reopened in August of 2016.
• it spent another $15 million for improvements, just completed in August, of Clawson Hall.
• the university is currently working on Minnich and Scott hall renovations, at a total cost of $50 million. The central quad dorms will have new layouts, electrical capacity, appliances, central air conditioning and newly refurbished sorority suites when they reopen next fall.
• Miami will spend $58 million more to renovate Richard and MacCracken halls, which will close in May and reopen in the fall of 2019. That project will include new amenities, sorority suites and a dining facility that will seat up to 250 people.

“With over 8 million square feet of buildings that were constructed from the 1830s forward, some construction activity year is unavoidable to meet today’s facility needs,” said David Creamer, senior vice president for finance and business services.

Red Fences Aren't Going Anywhere

As it pushes forward with multiple housing projects, Miami is also moving ahead with a number of other construction projects. The price tag for just-completed or just-started projects tops $100 million.

Among the largest projects is a renovation of Pearson Hall, home to the biology and microbiology departments. The first half of the renovation -- to include classrooms, office and labs -- will take two years and cost $32.4 million. A second phase of the project is scheduled to get underway in the summer of 2019 and is expected to also take two years to complete.

Other bigger-ticket items include:

• The east wing of the Armstrong Student Center, completed over the summer for $23.6 million.
• Upgrades of sorority space in Hamilton Hall, completed over the summer for $23 million.
• Renovations of Shriver Hall for retail space, the mail center and the bookstore, for $9.5 million. All but the bookstore space is complete.
• Parking and landscaping work near Shriver, completed during the summer for $6 million.
• Parking and landscaping improvements at the North Campus Garage for $5 million.
• Renovation of the Campus Avenue Building to welcome offices moved out of Shriver, continuing through the end of the year, with a cost of $3.5 million.
• Renovation of Hoyt Hall to bring in IT services staff by December, for $2.4 million.
• Changes at Maplestreet Station to add buffet service and create a single entrance, for $1.7 million.
• Completion of Western Walk to connect and upgrade the aesthetics of Western Campus, at $1.7 million.

Additionally, Creamer said Miami spends about $5 million for classroom renovations every summer while students are off campus.

Top photo: Scott Hall is one of two being renovated this year. -- Photo by Claire Williams