RENOVATION OF TOWERS PROCEEDING

Work is well under way on the transformation of Towers West into a modern residence hall at Southeast Missouri State University.

David Grauvogl, the resident engineer on the project for Sverdrup Corp. of St. Louis, sees the changes taking shape every day that will turn the 12-story structure into virtually a new building on the inside.

"We completely gutted the entire building, including the windows," he said. Double-pane thermal windows have been installed, giving the building a new look even on the outside.

"We're about 65 percent complete," said Grauvogl. "We are roughed in with electrical and mechanical and plumbing all the way down through the second floor."

Finishing work is well along on the upper floors. Drywall has been completed from the 12th through the sixth floors.

On part of the fifth floor, metal studs stood exposed this week, waiting for the drywall to go up.

The renovation commenced last June with asbestos abatement, which lasted six to eight weeks.

During that time, work began on demolishing the interior walls. Grauvogl said the demolition work commenced around mid- or late July.

Construction on Towers West is on schedule and should be completed by the end of April, he said.

Grauvogl said work will commence soon on improving the cooling system that serves the Towers complex, including construction of a utility tunnel.

At the close of the spring semester in May, the yearlong renovation of Towers North will begin.

The entire project carries a price tag of just over $13 million, including the utility work. Most of the cost is being borne by student fees, said Al Stoverink, Southeast's physical plant director.

"This has worked really well," said Grauvogl, whose company is overseeing the entire project. "The success of this job has come from the cooperation of the contractors."

There are eight prime contractors and at least 10 subcontractors involved, many of them area firms.

"We worked hard at the beginning to get a team concept," Grauvogl said.

As a result of the team work, renovation has proceeded at various stages on different floors at the same time.

"We are doing the same job 12 different times on the 12 floors," he pointed out.

With the renovation, the old dormitory room concept is being scrapped in favor of one- through four-person student suites on floors 2 through 12.

The four-person suites feature two living areas with a bathroom and shower sandwiched in a middle room. Each room has individually controlled thermostats.

When completed there will be a handicapped accessible bathroom and a room with a bathtub on each floor, as well as a student lounge and kitchenette featuring a sink, microwave and ice maker.

There will be two washers and dryers on each of the residential floors. "Everything is on the floor for the students," said Grauvogl.

In addition, the elevators are being refurbished.

The first floor will house the residence hall director's living quarters and office, as well as two large meeting rooms, public restrooms and a full kitchen for use by Towers West students.

Stoverink said this and other construction projects at Southeast are an economic benefit to area contractors and the community.

He estimated the university currently has about $17 million worth of construction projects in various stages of planning, design and construction, including the renovation of Towers.