Walker and Banning Halls will be undergoing renovations soon.
These buildings have been identified by students, faculty and staff as highest priorities for improvement, said Michael Burns, director of housing and student life.
Kevin Culbertson, coordinator of housing operations, said the residence halls are important for new and prospective students.
“Walker and Banning halls are the oldest residence halls on campus,” Culbertson said. “They are primarily freshman dorms, so it makes sense that we utilize the space and create appropriate new aesthetics.”
There is a team of people working together to come up with improvement plans for all of housing.
The plan is to renovate one room and bathroom in each building as a model, Burns said.
This is a preliminary project for housing to show administrators the potential look and cost of the rooms.
“The functionality and layout of the rooms and bathrooms will stay the same,” Culbertson said. “But things such as new furniture, new flooring, new tile in the bathroom, new sinks, new paint on the walls, and new window treatments are some possibilities that will be implemented to give the rooms a fresh new look.”
Once the model rooms are completed, students will be able to give feedback regarding the updates.
“The model project should be complete in mid-January,” Burns said. “We will then be able to put together a schedule and budget to renovate the entirety of both buildings.”
Students will be contacted if they are going to be directly affected by the construction.
“I definitely think the renovations are a good idea and much needed,” said Addie Pollard, acting freshman. “But I also worry that they might get annoying after a while.”
The goal is to have as little disruption as possible for the daily life of students, Burns said.
For any questions or concerns, email Burns at mpburns@okcu, or call at 405-208-6365.
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