Housing officials are planning Walker and Banning hall renovations with architects.
Walker was built in 1968 and Banning was built in 1958.
Though both have had renovations to plumbing, air conditioning and facilities, they have not yet been aesthetically revamped.
“We have had stuff done to the dorms in the past, but it was more just things we think that the students expected of us, nothing to overhaul the attractiveness of the dorms,” said Kevin Culbertson, coordinator of housing operations. “We think students do want the aesthetics worked on.”
Officials are in the preliminary stages of planning renovations. They are working with architects from Design+Build Group (DBG), a commercial construction company in Oklahoma City.
“Everything is open for discussion, whether it’s renovating floors or furniture,” Culbertson said. “We are getting designers to help us put something in writing.”
The possibility for renovation came after housing came out on top of the prioritization list. This meant housing updates were a priority for university officials, so it became a focus for them.
There is not a set budget for this project because the extent of the job is being evaluated.
“Once we get an idea of the scope of the work, we can let admin know so they can give us the go ahead,” Culbertson said.
Jacqueline Schneider, dance senior, said she used to live in Walker Hall.
“I’m glad they’re fixing it up,” she said. “I wish they had started this before I got there.”
Housing officials plan to have model rooms created next year, so the university has a standard to build off of.
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