Delaware Hall Renovations Set for July Completion
May 4, 2009 by Zach Miller
Delaware hall renovation
The newly constructed rotunda on the south side of Delaware Hall.
(Photo by Zach Miller)
Construction on Delaware Hall is scheduled to be finished the last week of July 2009.
Construction began 18 months ago to renovate the Public Safety Center as well as the Health and Fitness center. Columbus State Media Relations Coordinator David Wayne says that the cost of the renovation is $4.9 million.
Babette Money, supervisor of Safety and Security, helped design the new public safety wing of the building which will house such amenities as a new emergency operations center, central monitoring center and a service area for Public Safety vehicles.
The construction process has also taken measures to “go green” where possible. Carpets will be made of recycled fibers, the tile is made of recycled materials and the paint being used has low VOCs (Volatile Organic Chemicals). The lighting throughout the building will use motion sensors instead of traditional on/off switches in an attempt to cut down on energy output.
Money says that the new front lobby entrance will help make the center more accessible to students. “They’ve always had trouble finding us,” Money said.
Money also stated that the best thing about the new facility is the centralization of the public safety offices into one condensed area instead of being scattered about the campus.
The facility itself is also being equipped with a new training room as wells as new kitchenette areas and offices for lieutenant supervisors. Locker rooms are also being built for men and women, which is significant because women do not have their own locker rooms in the current facilities.
Key safety features include a room in the lobby to deal with minor walk-in incidents, 24 hour access for staff in the event of an emergency, and centralized campus monitoring center which, Money said, “Will help us better serve the public.”
The Health and Fitness Center is also being expanded but is still a hard hat area and therefore off limits. Athletic department personnel were unable to be reached for further information.