$3.5 million renovation makes way for Global Hall

Residence halls M.S. Cooper and Pinkerton are undergoing extensive renovations to upgrade mechanical and plumbing systems in order to house students August 2013.
Built in the late 1960s, the halls house 180 people and have never had renovations.
“We’re really excited about the changes taking place. Students will get to enjoy the renovated facilities, but they still get to interact with each other in the halls and common areas,” DeLayne Miller, project manager of Facilities and Building Services said.
The renovations include but are not limited to include: removing asbestos materials, replacing the Heat Vent Air Conditioning system, renovating the bathrooms, replacing interior doors, as well as updating flooring and furniture in offices, common areas and resident rooms.
In addition to these renovations, space in the residence hall will be renovated to accommodate a new learning area, Global Village.
“The plan is to rename M.S. Cooper and Pinkerton Global Hall,” said Charles Macke, president of Residential Life.
Global Hall will house international students and American students who want to live with international students.
“Roughly one-third of the space will be for returning international students. The other two-thirds will be for new international students and American students who are interested in being involved with the Global Village and international students,” Macke said.    
Tennessee Board of Regents approved the renovations in advance to allow the University time to appropriate funding and commission the project.
Commissioning is done by third party design to ensure that the new building systems meet the owner’s needs, and the safety guidelines for a lower cost.
Within the next seven years, the campus’s master plan includes renovating all seven residence halls. Each renovation costs approximately $3.5 million and will take one to two semesters for completion.