Trustees: Trustees Approve Design Work andConstruction

TRUSTEES APPROVE DESIGN WORK AND CONSTRUCTION, SELL LAND

     COLUMBUS -- The Ohio State University Board of Trustees on
Friday (10/3) authorized the university to hire designers to plan
renovations at two campus facilities -- including the Ohio Union
-- and awarded construction contracts.  Trustees also sold
property and conducted other business.

Trustees approve design work for Ohio Union renovation

     Trustees authorized the university to hire an architect to
design infrastructure and cosmetic improvements at the Ohio
Union, a student facility that opened in 1951.  The architect
also will help the university match the scope of the project with
the available dollars.

     Infrastructure improvements are needed to make the facility
compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, address
safety concerns, remove asbestos and correct a substandard
heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, said Jill
Morelli, university architect.

     Three additions were made to the facility in the mid-1960s,
but no work has been done since 1967.  Aesthetic upgrades would
provide a face-lift in common areas, meeting rooms and kitchens,
Morelli said.

     Operations of the Ohio Union are 71 percent revenue
supported, said Rebecca Parker, director of the Ohio Unions.  It
is expected that the improvements would allow the facility to
compete more effectively for business and, therefore, continue to
generate those funds.

     In addition to ballrooms that can accommodate large
meetings, training sessions and conferences, the union also has
kitchens for full-service catering.