Next month marks a new year on campus, with the long-awaited renovation of
Eastern Michigan University's Pray-Harrold building to be done in time to receive over 10,000 students a day.
The seven-story building is the largest on EMU's campus – it houses 10 departments of the College of Arts and Sciences, about 60 classrooms, and over 25% of the university course offerings. Nearly 300 faculty and staff report to work there.
The project entailed repairs or replacement of all major mechanical, electrical, and plumbing fixtures in the 235,791 square-foot building. All IT and audio-visual systems were also upgraded, and the curtain wall replaced. New finishes can be found throughout, and every classroom is getting new furnishings.
"The aging systems and antiquated amenities had reached their life cycle limits, and considering that this building was constructed prior to the advent of personal computers, infrastructure needs were also critical," Seán Braden, manager of planning and design at EMU, says in an email.
The state of Michigan funded 75% of the $42 million capital outlay project, with EMU covering the balance.
Source: Seán Braden, manager of planning and design at EMUWriter: Tanya Muzumdar
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