07/02/2014
Summer activities are in full swing at Fort Hays State University: swimming lessons are being held, the Wellness Center is busy as ever, and Gross Memorial Coliseum has had its share of action as well.

In the midst of this chaos, orange is blocking off a portion of Cunningham Hall where construction is under way.

Signs were posted in late April announcing that all lockers in the faculty and student locker rooms needed to be emptied by a given date. Then, in mid-May, the first phase of a four-phase renovation project was launched.

"Deterioration of the plumbing in Cunningham Hall" is what initiated the need for this renovation, said Troy Steiner, architectural project designer. The project will last for four years, each phase launching and ending with the summer seasons.

While the overall structure and content of the locker rooms and restrooms will remain unchanged, sanitary sewer lines, pipes and plumbing underneath floors are being replaced, said Steiner.

Although these changes are being made during a busy season, Glen McNeil, chair of the Department of Health and Human Performance said, "Some locker space is available in Gross Coliseum, and the renovations are not affecting the operation of the Wellness Center or pool."

Most of this summer's renovations should be complete by the start of the school year. Only renovations for the faculty locker rooms and restrooms will remain after that time.