Roof shingle palettes and a dumpster have sat in front of Buzzard Hall for the past several weeks.
The EIU board of trustees approved Buzzard’s roof replacement at its Sept. 4 meeting. Construction began in the middle of September. The nearly $250,000 project is likely to be completed within the next week.
Other roof replacements on campus include the Booth Library and the Physical Science building, among several others. The total cost for all roof replacements will be approximately $7 million, according to documents from the board of trustees.
The roof replacement comes after storm damage due to hail and strong winds that occurred this past spring combined with deterioration over time. Several rooms within Buzzard experienced leaks and water damage to the ceiling.
The roof on the dorms are originally from the rehabilitation of Buzzard that occurred in 1996, according to Eastern’s maintenance department. Asphalt shingle roofs can last between 15 and 30 years, depending on the shingle and layering type, according to Roof Doctor’s website.
Alongside the roof, Buzzard’s satellite and cell phone tower are under repair.
Other campus improvements include Lakeside Field being recently renovated. Both field houses’ roofs are also being replaced, with the replacements also being approved at last month’s board of trustees meeting.
Additional planned upgrades include nearly $8 million in fire alarm upgrades in several buildings on campus, including in Old Main, said the board of trustees.
Due to Old Main being a historical structure, the university will work with a consulting agency advising the university on what can be altered and where to discreetly wire the upgrades, according to the plan. Other buildings receiving fire alarm upgrades include Klehm and Coleman halls.
Coleman Hall currently has no fire protection or sprinkler system, and the upgrades will include installing fire protection systems. However, some lighting and ceiling tiles will have to be replaced due to some of the building materials containing asbestos, according to the board.
The university is requesting approximately $253 million for other campus construction, the board of trustees documents found. This includes the rehabilitation of Klehm Hall, Coleman Hall and the Physical Science Building. The three projects are estimated to cost approximately $144 million. No concrete plans or architectural concepts have been released yet.
The other $109 million in the board plans will cover renovating the Student Services Building and potentially relocating it to an underutilized building of campus. The documents did not specify where student services would potentially be relocated.
The university plans to demolish two buildings on campus deemed obsolete or underutilized. However, the plans, which are apart of Project 2028, did not specify what buildings would be demolished currently.
Another $5 million will be spent on replacing and retrofitting the windows at McAfee Gym, along with necessary brick repairs. Approximately $90,000 of the cost will be dedicated to asbestos removal, the board said.
Due to McAfee being built by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression, the university will be working with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency to preserve the aesthetic of the building and not to adversely affect public spaces in McAfee.
Jacob Hamm can be reached at 581-2812 or at jmhamm@eiu.edu.
