As the school year comes to an end, several highly trafficked areas on Albion’s campus are preparing for substantial changes. Renovations are scheduled for a range of facilities, including Kresge Gymnasium, the KC, Wesley, the Ludington Center, Upper Baldwin and Goodrich Chapel.
Kresge Gymnasium: A New Look for a Historic Space
According to President Wayne Webster, construction on Kresge Gymnasium, which began last summer with air conditioning and painting the ceiling, is set to continue through July.
The installation of the project will include new bleachers, a renovated upper and lower lobby, ADA-compliant restrooms and redesigned locker rooms.
Longtime users of Kresge, such as head volleyball coach, Kristen Slamer-de St. Aubin, said she’s excited about the newly refurbished space.
“There are a lot of memories in that building, we are approaching 100 years of competition in Kresge,” Slamer de-St.Aubin said. “It will mean so much to staff to have a newly renovated space.”
Dallas first year student Symia McGee said she also appreciates the gym’s renovations.
“The gym looks really nice, I really like the modern look it has,” McGee said. “It’s very clean and looks neat.”
KC: A Full Interior Makeover
The KC will also be undergoing major renovations from top to bottom.
“Up from the study area upstairs all the way to the main level, with the living room, that’s all going to be redone this summer,” Webster said. “When students return in August, that’ll all be completely refreshed and have a new look and be a little more modern and welcoming.”
Houston first year student Ja’Nae Dixon said she is looking forward to the KC’s renovation.
“Honestly, I think a lot of students are going to appreciate these changes. It’s exciting to think about coming back in the fall to places that feel fresh, functional and actually made with us in mind,” Dixon said.
Wesley: Revamping a Residence Hall
Renovations to Wesley are set to begin with the second floor main lobby and kitchen, according to Webster, who added that “those spaces will be completely gutted this summer.”
Outdoor patio spaces will also be added to Wesley, he said.
“In the fall and the spring, when students want to hang out outside, we’ll have some more defined seating areas for students to be able to relax and build community,” Webster said.
Other Campus Changes
Goodrich Chapel’s renovation will include a new door opening system that opens “automatically,” Webster said.
The top floor of Baldwin will be receiving new renovations, which will extend into the fall semester, according to Webster.
“There’s three main meeting rooms up there, and we’ll start to renovate that space,” Webster said. “Renovations will include built-in AV and other things that will make it more accessible for student meetings.”
According to Webster, in addition to the renovations, there will also be repairs done to damages caused by the storm in places like the roof of the Ludington Center and the ceiling of Goodrich Chapel.
“There are just some spaces on campus that took some pretty significant beating during the storm that we’ll replace and address,” Webster said.
Generators have also become a topic of interest since the recent storm.
“This most recent storm has revealed a couple of spaces where we want to explore adding generators.” Webster said.
According to Webster, possible spaces include Wesley, the KC and the Dow.
“These aren’t promises, but these are things we’re gonna explore, whether we can add generators or not, considering costs and whether infrastructure can support that or not,” Webster said. “So that when this happens down the road, we’ll be able to be more prepared in those spaces.”
Most of the major renovations are slated to be done by the start of the fall semester, Webster said.
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