Renovations to Russell Hall

While campus may seem quiet, with less students and faculty here for classes, there's one endeavor that picks up steam during the summer months. Each summer, a number of renovation and construction projects become priority on campus. Today, one such progress has begun--the renovation of Russell Hall. This 10-story, high-rise building first housed students in 1967 and is one of many dorms over the last few years to be scheduled for renovation. 

The project schedule calls for the work to be finished in time to reopen the 230,000-square-foot building by the beginning of the 2018 fall semester.

At 970 beds, Russell has the highest occupancy capacity of any of UGA’s residential units. The work plan calls for minimal loss of capacity, and the building should have 961 or more beds at the end of the project, said UGA spokesman Greg Trevor, executive director for media communications.

Among the scheduled renovations to the building are several upgrades including installation of energy efficient windows. Upgrades to these facilities provide our students with continued top-of-the-line housing while they pursue their education on campus.

According to documents UGA submitted to the state Board of Regents about the project, built-in furnishings will be removed from the dorm rooms and students will be able to control the temperature in individual rooms. Workers will also install energy-efficient windows in the building.

Hall bathrooms will be remodeled for greater shower and toilet privacy, study and community spaces will be upgraded, and modern mechanical, electrical, plumbing and information technology systems will be installed.

While summer on the UGA campus means that many parts of campus are more quiet, there are still many things afoot in preparation for the coming fall semester. While Russell Hall renovations won't be complete until the fall of 2018, other renovations to the UGA Career Center at Clarke Howell Hall, the North Campus Quad Lawn Restoration and renovations the College of Pharmacy, are well under way on campus. Our campus is readily improved each summer thanks to the careful planning by administration and hard work of construction crews and other staff members. Here's to another summer of improvement on the UGA Athens campus!