DuBois partway through major facilities "face lift"

DuBois College House received $1 million worth of updates over the summer. Residents hope to see more done in a larger-scale renovation administrators say is on the horizon.

This summer's renovation included updates to common spaces like the TV lounge, fitness room and laundry areas, Facilities Director of Design and Construction Management Mariette Buchman said.

The building also received new air-conditioning systems and better corridor lighting, as well as renovations to the house dean's and faculty fellows' apartments.

The University is now conducting a feasibility study to determine the scope of the long-term project, which will begin once renovations to the high rises are completed in 2010.

Results of the feasibility study will be presented to the Trustees on Oct. 30. More information about plans and cost will be available then.

DuBois House Dean Patricia Williams wrote in an e-mail that she and Faculty Master William Gipson are pleased with the work so far and consider it "a great start to what we trust will be a major effort on the part of the University."

She added that residents are "nothing but positive" about the renovations and are glad the University responded to some of their requests.

Last spring, the Penn chapter of the NAACP organized an open forum where students voiced concerns that the funding and attention allocated to renovations of DuBois was unequal compared to that spent on other College Houses, especially the high rises, which will receive $106 million during the four-year project.

College senior and DuBois House Council president Kathleen Isaac said building conditions are a continual issue for residents.

Students would "all be happy to see just as much effort go into low rises as has gone into the high rises," said Isaac, a fourth-year resident.

"I can't say it's equal now at all," she added. "We're happy about what has been done, but we'd like more."

Administrators say the renovation sequence - first the Quadrangle, now the high rises and then the low rises - was determined by the number of residents affected by changes, Facilities and Real Estate Services Vice President Anne Papageorge said.

"The plan was always after high rise renovations, we would move to address the low rises," she said. "DuBois is on the list to receive the next face lift."

DuBois, a low rise, houses about 186 students while the three high rises collectively house about 2,581.

Business Services spokeswoman Barbara Lea-Kruger added that renovation priorities are also determined by safety concerns and the impact that system failures have on cost and quality of life.

Williams said DuBois residents are keeping their fingers crossed that the renovations will involve "the works" - including new flooring and windows, new furniture and central air and heating.

She added that the summer updates have improved resident morale and thanks to better lighting and air-conditioning, students are making more use of the exercise and recreation facilities.

"I'm thrilled to see them making use of these spaces for fun, relaxation, to de-stress and just to get to know each other," she wrote.

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