Dorms set for $280M in repairs, upgrades

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Tweet When Jon Benaderet was deciding which dorm to live in last year, West Circle's gothic-style buildings surrounded by towery pines seemed ideal.

"I liked the old style and the traditional look," said Benaderet, a human biology sophomore. "They seemed to have a lot more character."

Mary Mayo Hall, his home as a freshman, was identified last fall as a dorm in need of a major renovation after a university audit assessed the condition of all campus residence halls.

So when the university begins renovating the hall in May 2008, Benaderet hopes his former home retains its classic appearance.

"With some of the newer dorms on campus, you see a bunch of people crammed in like they're living in cells," he said. "I hope the look won't change, just that they'd modernize things."

The plan to renovate Mary Mayo Hall is part of a $280 million renovation of several campus buildings during the next 10-15 years - primarily residence halls - said Sharri Margraves, MSU construction and maintenance manager.

While Benaderet had few complaints about living in Mary Mayo Hall, he does remember some areas of the dorm needing work. Some of the walls were patched up, a few showers didn't have enough pressure and doors to stalls were broken in the bathrooms, he said.

Last fall, the MSU Board of Trustees authorized the university's Division of Housing & Food Services to begin planning for renovations to Mary Mayo Hall, as well as Brody Hall.

An overhaul of the two buildings, projected to cost more than $30 million, will upgrade or replace each of the hall's mechanical, electrical and ventilation systems.

The buildings also will have improved bathrooms, plumbing, furnishing, lighting, floors, ceilings and roofing, and exterior.

Mary Mayo Hall begins renovations in May 2008 and renovations to Brody Hall will begin the following year. A phased renovation of each of the six residential halls in the Brody Complex, beginning with Emmons Hall, likely will begin the following year, Margraves said.

Constructed from 1954-56, Brody Complex houses approximately 2,600 residents, primarily freshmen.

As few students return to the complex after their freshman year, Margraves said the hope is that Brody Hall renovations will make the complex more desirable for students.

"The plan is these improvements will turn Brody into a place where people want to live, not a place where they're stuck there," she said.

Butterfield Hall had a substantial increase in returning students after installing air-conditioning units in each room, Margraves said. She also said nearby parking was an advantage.

Students, faculty and staff will get a chance to lend feedback in the planning stages of the projects, Margraves said, but so far, reaching students has been difficult.

Brody Complex Manager Tim Knight said attempts by residence hall staff to form student focus groups in the spring went poorly, with fewer than 30 students.

"It was unfortunate because there is a common feeling and concern among students that no one listens to them, and this was an opportunity to have their voices heard," Knight said.

To assess Brody Hall's food services, the university has hired The Baker Group, a Grand Rapids-based firm specializing in higher education facilities.

"We know it's going to look good when it's done, we just want it to run efficiently," Margraves said.

Craig Trudell can be reached at trudell6@msu.edu.

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