Jackson Hall renovations totals $200K

The basement of Jackson Hall will soon sport a new look.

Ashley Memory, senior assistant director of admissions, said construction crews are installing fresh flooring and brighter lighting. She said they will also be painting and creating a new meeting room by enclosing an already existing space.

“The space downstairs hasn’t been updated in years,” she said.

Memory said the improvements cost $200,000 and were self-funded through application fee revenue and contracted to UNC Facilities Services.

She said the renovations are a matter of efficiency. The basement of Jackson Hall stored many paper files, something the admissions department no longer needs as they have gone essentially paperless, she said.

“We need more meeting space to accommodate meetings with families and more internal working space,” she said. “We will be able to have a more collaborative working space by having more room downstairs.”

Memory said staff working in the basement, primarily records management staff and administrative staff, have been relocated to the media room upstairs.

She said the primary effect of this renovation has been that information sessions for tours, which usually take place in the media room, have been moved to other rooms on campus, like the Great Hall in the Student Union.

“They’ll be right there on campus anyway, so we’re hoping that this minimizes the effect,” Memory said. “Our offices are still open, so we’re here to meet with visitors if they have any additional questions and would like to meet with someone in person.”

Senior Darrin Benjumea, an admissions ambassador who works at the front desk in Jackson Hall, said there has been a lot of reorganization due to the renovations.

“It’s been hard to have guests in Jackson Hall when there’s no media room to put them in,” Benjumea said. “It’s been a little bit hectic to keep track of where they are, but once we have everything scheduled, it’s worked well.”

Chase LaRue, an admissions representative, said the office is in the middle of application reading season, but the renovations haven’t had a negative effect.

“It’s been a pretty smooth transition,” he said.

Powell Marshall, the design manager of the project, said this project has been in the works since last year. He said they are planning to have state inspectors come back in the first week of March to review the finished product.

“Right now, we’re pretty much on schedule,” he said. “We’re trying to get this done as quick as we can.”

Marshall said the snow interrupted progress.

“This week kind of threw a wrench in things, but we’ve been able to work a little harder and faster and we’re back on track,” he said.

He said the basement of Jackson Hall is prone to flooding, and the new flooring system would be easier to repair and dry out.

Memory said the renovation hasn’t been too hard on the staff.

“It’s been kind of fun. I get to interact with people that I don’t see as often,” she said.

“We’re grateful for the patience of the staff who had to move upstairs and for bearing the move so gracefully.”

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