While most students are away, the university vamps up its initiative to make improvements in the residence halls including constructing new sprinkler systems in The Triad and building an elevator in Pemberton Hall.

Mark Hudson, the director of University Housing and Dining Services, said implementing new sprinkler systems in McKinney, Ford and Weller halls serves as one of the most important construction projects in the residences halls this summer.

The three residence halls are the last to receive the new sprinkler systems. New automated alarm systems will also accompany the installation of the sprinkler systems.

The total installation expenditure costs $997,788, which was approved during the Jan. 20 Board of Trustees meeting.

Eastern began constructing sprinkler systems in the residence halls in 1999, and in 2002, the state enacted the Fire Sprinkler Dormitory Act, which requires universities to comply with fire-sprinkler standards by Jan. 1, 2013.

“We are also doing aesthetic upgrades to the ceilings in the hallways and lobbies along with renovations to the bathrooms in McKinney,” Hudson said.

Like Lincoln and Douglas halls, the bathrooms in McKinney will become privatized containing an individual sink, shower, toilet and mirror, he said.

“The bathroom renovations are a part of our Campus Master Plan, where we will renovate bathrooms across campus,” Hudson said.

They choose what bathrooms to renovate based on the results of the yearly residence life student survey the office sends out, he said.

“The bathrooms were not rated very high, so we thought it would be a good opportunity to do two things at one time,” he said.

Construction will also continue to transform the old textbook rental building, connected to Pemberton Hall, into the new Honors College.

Hudson said during the summer, work will be done for an elevator shaft in the building, and the elevator will provide access to all of the floors.

During the April 13 Board of Trustees meeting, Stephen Shrake, the associate director of design and construction in the Facilities, Planning and Management Office, said the renovations in the old textbook rental building should be completed by Summer 2013.

The total cost of the project is around $3.5 million.

Hudson said they usually paint about 300 residence-hall rooms in the summer.

“We evaluate the condition of all of the rooms on campus, and we dedicate our efforts to those that make the ‘bad rooms list,’” he said.

The eighth and ninth floors of Stevenson Hall will also be carpeted this summer, Hudson said. After this summer, all of the suits in Stevenson Hall will be carpeted.

Rachel Rodgers can be reached at 581-2812 or rjrodgers@eiu.edu.