Refreshed and renovated – Housing upgrades enhance the residential experience
Our University Housing facilities are constantly being updated and improved to fit residents’ needs. Our Housing team works diligently to plan and work on more than 100 renovation projects per year – a mix of major upgrades and small projects, some of which take just a few days to complete.
At the same time, a planning committee reviews and updates its Long Range Facilities Plan each spring, which creates a timeline for what’s to come over the next five years.
We recently spoke to Dale Wise, the assistant director of Facilities Planning, about projects completed in University Housing over the past school year and summer, the role student feedback plays in determining priorities and future upgrades students can look forward to – including air conditioning in Barton and Lundgren halls!
Busey-Evans Lounges and Common Areas
New furniture and flooring were installed in the Busey-Evans lounges and common areas, giving them a nice refresh. Although the updates feature modern materials and a contemporary look, the facilities team wanted to remain respectful of the historic nature of the buildings, which are more than 100 years old. They took that perspective into account when making design choices, resulting in ornate spaces with a comfortable feel, where students can come together, hang out and relax.
(Fun fact: Busey Hall was the first residence hall built by the University of Illinois, with its cornerstone laid on Saturday, October 21, 1916!)
The final touches on the Busey-Evans lounge and common space renovations were completed after this photograph was taken, when the furniture shown was replaced with new, contemporary lounge furniture that complements the buildings' classic architecture.
Blaisdell and Carr Lounges
The floor lounges in Blaisdell and Carr now have updated flooring, furniture and color throughout. This project was a student initiative started a few years ago. A group of residents wanted to see the open lounge remodeled to meet their needs, and the Housing team listened and responded quickly.
Air Conditioning at Allen Hall
Window air conditioning units were installed at Allen Hall. Typically, window units are not recommended for historic buildings like Allen Hall, but they are much more cost effective and take less time to install than a full heating and cooling system. To get air conditioning to students as soon as possible, the Housing team completed some electrical upgrades needed to install the window units and provide cooling to students. A new HVAC system will likely be installed at some point in the future.
PAR Interior Lobby
The PAR front lobby received new flooring in the entry corridors and new color splashes of orange and blue. The space was also widened and expanded to make it more usable for both residents and front desk clerks. An increasing number of packages are delivered, processed and stored at the PAR front desk these days, so the renovation made that process more efficient.
Student Room Furniture at PAR
New, durable furniture was installed in all student rooms at PAR. This includes new beds, dressers, desks and mattresses. Similar furniture was installed in ISR’s Townsend and Wardall a few years ago.
PAR Dining Hall
PAR Dining Hall received new benches and flooring as an update to the entire remodel completed previously. Dining seating arrangements were reimagined, creating new and unique seating arrangements that are more appealing to the eye and allow more groups to sit together. The seating area is now more open, but the furniture arrangement and high backs also allow diners to maintain some privacy.
New Mattresses in Nugent, Bousfield and Busey-Evans
Mattresses are on a life cycle of seven to 10 years, and it was time for mattresses to be replaced in Nugent, Bousfield and Busey-Evans.
Card Access and Accessibility in Orchard Downs Laundry
The Orchard Downs laundry rooms now have card access instead of a manual key to make access easier for residents. There were also ramps added into the buildings to ensure they are ADA accessible.
Ogelsby Hall Roof
The roof at Ogelsby Hall was replaced to minimize any leaking inside the building. Roofs last about 20 years, and Ogelsby was due for a replacement.
Goodwin-Green Roof at 1107 W. Green St.
The roof at Goodwin-Green's 1107 W. Green building, also more than 20 years old, was replaced after minor leaks.
Ashton Woods Parking Lot
The Ashton Woods parking lot was redone, with our Housing team adding more gravel and subbase to get the parking lot stable and compacted. Moving forward, it should now be pothole-free and easily maintained for a number of years.
In Progress: Orchard Downs Playground Equipment
This project is still in progress and an extension of the remodel of the Orchard Downs Community Center. The playground equipment at the Community Center will be replaced and upgraded, along with some drainage issues which need to be resolved. There are plans to modify the playground equipment at the Orchard Downs north laundry facility as well.
Ongoing: Furniture in Orchard Downs
University Housing has a budget to replace furniture in as many of its apartments as possible each year and is about three-fourths of the way through replacing the furniture in Orchard Downs apartments.
The university’s Facilities & Services unit has its own mill shop that makes wood furniture like dressers, dining sets, headboards and more, and the furniture made here lasts longer and ultimately costs less than buying furniture from somewhere else that would need to be replaced sooner.
Our Goal
“Safety and security and good living conditions are something you expect,” Wise said. “If we do our job properly, then residents don’t even notice we’ve done anything, just that it’s a nice building that’s safe and secure. That’s the goal.”
With some projects, Housing’s facilities planning office – a six-person team – formally solicits student feedback, such as with the large remodel of ISR. They are also responsive to residents’ needs, such as the student-led initiative regarding the floor lounges in Blaisdell and Carr halls.
But Wise said University Housing always keeps the end users – student residents – in mind when planning renovation projects.
A Look Ahead
Regarding future projects, students can look forward to the installation of air conditioning in Barton and Lundgren halls, which will be available for residents to enjoy this fall.
The lobbies in both Hopkins and Weston are next to be renovated with the same concept as previous projects. There will be more orange and blue Illinois branding, new flooring and updated kitchenettes – making them fully ADA accessible.
Like Ogelsby, the PAR Dining Hall roof is about 20 years old and will be replaced this coming summer.
The Housing team also recently initiated a project at FAR to remodel all the restrooms in Oglesby and Trelease halls. These restrooms will ultimately be individual-use restrooms, like the remodeling work done about 10 years ago at PAR and more recently at ISR – and very similar to what’s available in newer facilities like Bousfield and Wassaja. This construction will take place in the summers of 2026 and 2027.
With our students in mind, the University Housing team will continue to work hard on projects that help maximize the residential living experience!
