Renovations to Blake Residence Hall will be completed March 2008 after more than a year of being under construction. Steve Waller, director of the Department of Residential Life said the infrastructure of the building is complete and the front sidewalk was poured this past week. Finishing touches like tiles, doors and locks are still being added to the building, he said. Waller said the hall will begin housing residents fall 2008. The Department of Residential Life is also considering opening it for use during summer school, he said. The hall will be a co-ed residential college in conjunction with the Agricultural College. This will be the University’s fifth residential college, Waller said.
The construction, which began in 2006, increased occupant capacity from 204 to 270 and added an additional wing to the west end of the building, he said. The new wing will have suite baths while the older portion will have upgraded hall baths. Waller said each floor will have a lounge, a quiet study room and large kitchens with two stoves and two microwaves. A classroom and faculty offices were also added to the building. The total project cost of the renovation was $12.7 million, which includes construction, furnishings, financing costs and architect fees. Waller said that the construction alone cost $9.1 million.