Pentagon residents have been walking across a parking lot to do their laundry since August and will continue to do so into next semester.
Jay High, ResLife communications manager, said the service building that used to contain the Pentagon’s laundry room has been under construction since the summer.
“It was in need of a little bit of attention,” High said.
High said the original plan was for the building to be completed by the beginning of the semester, but ResLife ran into contracting issues, causing construction delays.
He said construction should be complete by early spring.
High said the service building in the Pentagon also housed the Mini Mart, which was closed because The 5 dining hall includes a convenience store.
High said once construction is complete, the service building will house a laundry facility, a 24-hour front desk, a computer lab and a common room.
“We want to provide residents with a sense of community,” High said.
He said the project will cost $500,000, which will come from student housing fees.
High said Pentagon residents are currently using the laundry facilities in Broussard Hall and he understands why they may be upset.
“It’s a little inconvenient, but we think it’s worth it,” High said.
Because plans were delayed, the service building was under construction when students arrived. No official e-mail was sent to residents notifying them of the construction, High said.
Brent Fontenot, mechanical engineering sophomore and Pentagon resident, said he would have appreciated an e-mail.
“It’d be nicer to have more machines for all these people,” he said.
Fontenot said he’s tired of sharing six washing machines and dryers with Broussard residents and the approximately 550 Pentagon residents.
“It really sucks hauling all my clothes over there,” Fontenot said. “The availability of those [machines] is pretty ridiculous.”
Past efforts to improve the area include renovating Broussard, LeJeune and Jackson halls and erecting wrought-iron gates to ensure residents’ safety, particularly during tailgating, he said.
High said ResLife also hopes to one day remove the small buildings in the center of the Pentagon and build a gazebo.
“It will just look a little bit nicer,” High said.
 
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Contact Rachel Warren at [email protected]