University of Michigan plans $116 million renovation to East Quad dormitory

The $116 million cost of the project will be provided from Housing resources, the College of Literature, Science and the Arts resources and investment proceeds.

Renovations would include new plumbing, heating, cooling, ventilation, fire detection and suppression systems. Other improvements would include wired and wireless high-speed network access, renovated bath facilities and improvements to accessibility.

The action request was submitted to regents by Royster Harper, vice president for student affairs, and Timothy Slottow, executive vice president.

The design process will begin after regents vote on the project. The project is not scheduled. Regents will be presented with a timetable when university officials seek approval of the designs.

Architectural firm Integrated Design Solutions LLC will be in charge of designing the project.

The project will also renovate the Residential College to current academic standards. The action request notes that since the college’s inception in 1967, spaces have been used within East Quadrangle for classrooms that were not originally intended for academic study. The request said offices and administrative functions have been housed in former bedrooms and most classrooms are located in the basement.

East Quadrangle was originally constructed in 1940 and had additions built in 1948 and 1969. The university does not anticipate any impact on parking for this project.

Peter Logan, spokesperson for University Housing, said the renovations will require East Quadrangle to be closed for a period of one year to 15 months. Logan said all of the university's deep renovations to residence halls have resulted in the buildings needing to be closed.

"At this point we don’t know exactly when the renovation would take place, if approved," Logan said, "because we’re going to wait to see the scope of the work when the schematic design is submitted to the regents."

The renovations to East Quadrangle will be another major step in the university's plan to update residential buildings on campus.

The university opened the North Quadrangle Residential and Academic Complex in August 2010 after a three-year project that cost the university $175 million.