Eisenlohr Hall to be renovated

President Judith Rodin's move into the Eisenlohr mansion has been delayed until December because the building is being renovated, former Executive Vice President Janet Hale said in July. The traditional home of the president, located at 3812 Walnut Street, is being closed for direly needed repairs, University spokesperson Barbara Beck said. Until the changes are completed, Rodin and her family will live in "temporary housing," Hale said. Although she was unable to say exactly where the new president will stay, Hale said it is important that Rodin lives on campus, in "accessible housing." Beck said most of the renovations are being made in order to update basic utilities and to remove asbestos. "The heating and air-conditioning systems are all antiquated," she said. "What you have is a house that needs considerable updating -- it doesn't work well anymore. "Renovations haven't been made in more than a decade," Beck added. "That's an extraordinarily long time." Eisenlohr was last revamped in 1982 by Lucy Hackney, former president Sheldon Hackney's wife. Neither Hale nor Beck were able to estimate the exact price tag of the upcoming renovation. Beck said the University is making an effort to keep the costs of re-vamping the mansion down. "They are looking for the cheapest contractor they can find," she said in July. "This is going to be as cost-effective as possible." Along with modernizing aging utilities, changes will be made in Eisenlohr in order to accommodate the family members Rodin is bringing with her, Beck said. Unlike former Interim President Claire Fagin -- who only had to share the 25-room mansion with her husband -- Rodin brings a son and stepson as well as a husband to Eisenlohr. Hackney also only had a wife and cousin as housemates during his tenure. "This is the first time in years that there's actually been a family living in the house," Beck said. "This is a real family and that makes a difference." According to Gary Lauderbach, owner of the Lauderbach Worldwide Moving company which moved the furniture out of Eisenlohr and into storage last week, the move took two full days of hard labor. Everything inside the building had to be removed -- from bed posts to antique coffee tables, he added. Rodin was unavailable for comment.