Several of Ball State University's construction projects are coming to an end and attempting to bring a "greener" environment to campus.
DeHority Hall, North Hall and the relocated Honors College at the Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Home are seeking LEED Green Building certification, Jim Lowe, director of engineering and operations, said.
According to the U.S. Green Building Council, the LEED rating system measures the performance of energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reductions and several other categories.
"Typically you don't see renovation buildings going after LEED, but I believe we are going for certification status," Lowe said.
The Honors College is scheduled to be completed by the end of June and DeHority Hall was declared substantially completed June 1, after a $19.7 million renovation project according to the Shiel Sexton contracting firm. The building is expecting its first residents in a few weeks.
"It will be occupied by a summer conference June 24 for about a week," Lowe said. "But when students return in the fall, they will occupy this building."
Lowe also added that several other site projects between DeHority Hall and North Hall are being planned to bring the residence hall communities together.
"There's a common theme that it's a residential setting," he said.
The campus is also undergoing a shift to green energy by installing a geothermal heating and cooling system. The first phase of this project should be finished by August of 2010, Lowe said.
"The first phase of the project will involve installing 1,700 wells in the area bounded by Bowman, McKinley, Carmichael Hall and that general location," he said. "The parking lot and what are the softball intramural fields will become well fields within the year."
The system is meant to replace two of the coal boilers used to heat the campus. Lowe said contractors will be arriving on campus in the next few weeks to begin construction.
Several smaller construction projects are in the works as well, including the paving of the Scheumann Stadium parking lot this summer, the rerouting of a drive stemming from Neely Avenue leading back to Bracken Library and expanding green space and a quad area for students. A new Ball State University sign is also being installed at the corner of McGalliard Road and Tillotson Avenue.
"We want to provide an opportunity for students to enjoy the campus," Lowe said.
Incoming freshman Keshia Warnken said she is eagerly anticipating the completion of construction projects during her time at Ball State.
"I'm glad they're renovating it for when I come to college this fall," she said. "I'm happy. I'm excited to see what it looks like."
Lowe said he estimated the total cost of all of the campus construction projects to be about $200 million.
"It's providing a lot of jobs for a lot of people," Lowe said. "It's good for the community, it brings jobs to Muncie and it helps the Muncie community in a lot of ways."
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