As the Missouri Hall project begins to draw to a close, I'm moving all future updates to the new MO Hall website nested within the Residence Life site.  To access the new site, point your browser to http://reslife.truman.edu/halls/missouri.  We'll try to keep this site up for a while until the new site is fully up and running.

I had the opportunity last week to tour the inside of the Missouri Hall construction site.  Andrea O'Brien and John Mounsey with Residence Life worked with Mark Schultz, Truman's new Campus Planner, to set up the tour.  I was happy to join them for the event.

So much progress has been made inside.  While the building looks understandably a mess, things are coming along quite nicely.  All reports indicate that we will be able to move into the building on time, which is a plus.

I took so many pictures inside.  Click here to access a special gallery I created with these pictures.  I've included descriptions for each one as well.  The gallery was created using MS Front Page and is best viewed using Internet Explorer (sorry!).

Crews have begun installing the new shingles for the roof.  Though they still have a great deal farther to go, the new roof already looks cleaner that the old roof.  The various crews have continued their work in framing the spaces for the new heating/cooling units.  Some entire wings on the south side are now complete.

Outside a 130s wing room sits a vent cover.  While this doesn't look like the proposed cover, it's safe to assume that these vents will be added soon after the air conditioners are installed.  Behind the construction fence out back sit what seem to be large scale air conditioners.  I'm not sure where they are going, but they might be used to cool the bathrooms or the first floor common spaces.  We'll have to see where they end up.

The footings for the expansion have now been filled in with gravel.  It won't be long before substantial work on the frame begins.  Some minor work was noticeable today.  Some of the last drinking fountains have been recently removed and now sit in the parking lot.  From the back, you can get a good sense of the full scale of the project now underway.

It became a little easier to picture what a post-renovation Missouri Hall will look like now that the footings have been poured for the front expansion.  The space is really quite large and will serve as a far more dramatic entrance to the building than was previous.  Not only will it protrude farter from the crossover, but it will also be much wider than the original portico.

The crews continue to create brick frames for the air conditioning.  The first two air conditioners were installed last week.  Rooms 139 and 239 hold that honor.  The units appear to be manufactured by Carrier. 

Other continuing work includes the new roof.  Most people don't notice it in passing, but Missouri Hall has seven different roofs, one above each wing.  they are making a lot of headway in prepping the roofs.  I would imagine we'll see new shingles on part of the building by the end of the week.

Ironically, there is one functional bathroom still left at Missouri Hall, though not where you might expect it.

Work continues of the renovation.  The most notable developments include a large hole dug in front of the building.  The hole will become the foundation for the building's expansion.  The hole would also make a nice moat.  Who needs a night monitor when a draw bridge and fire breathing dragon will do?

All of the bricks below the old windows have been removed.  In fact, the new heating/cooling units have been delivered.  Frames are already being installed to mount the new units on.

It would also seem that the roof is being redone.  New roofing material is being attached directly to the old surface.  Also, the walls for the staff apartments have been roughed in.  The old ventilation system has been completely removed. 

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to post an update, and so much has happened in the interim.  For one, the columns of Missouri Hall have come down.  The superstructure that was once supported was held up by a system of scaffolds.  Much of that superstructure was later removed so it could be freestanding.  The columns were carted away by truck and are now the property of Wulff Brothers Masonry.  Since that time much of the ornamental work, including the cornerstone, on the front of the building has been removed.  Even some brick walls not part of the superstructure were removed and boarded over.

Much work has continued on the expansion of the window bays.  Some wings are nearly finished on all floors.  Though the exterior AC vents will take up much of the new window space, it is already easy to see that the building will appear somewhat shorter. 

From the outside it can be seen that some interior walls are coming down, including walls from the crossover rooms that are becoming part of the lounge and new study locations.  Nearly all the bathrooms have been completely gutted to begin work on renovated and expanded amenities. 

A temporary gravel path now runs along the north side of the building.  Heavy machinery has been causing serious ruts in the ground.  The new path will permit the large machines to more easily navigate the tight quarters of the north side.

Word is that River City thinks the project is still on schedule.  Always good!

The south side of the building is looking very different these days.  Crews have begun removing windows from the rooms and lounges in both 2 North and 3 North.  Glass and window frames are being piled out back in the construction lot.  The window openings are being covered with make-shift plastic and wood closings.  It won't be long until all the windows are removed and the brickwork below them are cut to make way for the air conditioning/heating unit.  As I walked around the building this afternoon, I could hear battery operated smoke detectors in the building going off.  Many are still left in the rooms, and the dust from the construction has been setting them off all week.

Crews appeared to be tunneling under the 130s wing today.  I'm not sure what they were working on, but perhaps the getting the new electrical cable into the building.  The location is also the site of the small addition being built for the new 1 South kitchen.  They could have been setting the stage for that addition.  I'm just not sure.

I did get in touch with Wulff Brothers masonry about the MISSOURI HALL stones.  I spoke with Doc Wulff, and he recommends that I get back in touch with him in two weeks time.  He should be able to quote a price at that point.  I found the stones today.  They are in a small pile in front of Missouri Hall.

Over the past few days, crews have continued to remove the front portico.  Carefully and piece by piece, Wulff Brothers Masonry has been dismantling the old entrance.  The brick top layer was removed earlier in the week, and now the face stones have come down, including those etched with the words "MISSOURI HALL."  Here are several shots of the portico.  1   2   3

I haven't had a chance to see the building in a couple days, but progress has likely continued on this phase of the demolition.  I have been in contact with Wulff Brothers to see about purchasing the old "MISSOURI HALL" stones.  If it is possible and they are reasonably priced, the Missouri Hall Senate may seek to purchase the stones and keep them as historical artifacts.  Wulff Brothers has the salvage rights on this portion of the demolition.

A row of faculty/staff parking has shown up behind Ophelia Parrish at the north end of the Missouri Hall parking lot.  Though the Missouri lot no longer fills with resident cars, let's hope the row returns to green parking after the renovation as we will need all the spots.

Crews began removing stone from the portico above the main entrance.  The stones were removed and now rest in a row beside the building.  The columns and name stones will likely be removed soon as well.

Out back, the window opening for room 122 was expanded.  Crews had removed the window previously and boarded it up.  Today the boards were removed.  Bricks below the window were cut out to make room for the new architectural venting.  A similar process will be done soon to all the windows in the building. 

It doesn't even seem like the same building without them.  Today the trees in front of Missouri Hall were cut down to make way for the expanded main lobby.  Compare this to how it looked with trees.  One tree in front of the 50s wing did stay.  The crew used several large trucks and machines to chop down the trees and process the limbs.  The full renovation plan calls for trees and landscaping to return to the front side of the building after the renovation is completed.

Crews were in the 150s wing today cutting the concrete floor.  I'm not sure why they were cutting the floor, but the 150s wing will be home to the new staff apartments.  Perhaps they were clearing parts out for new drainage or electrical conduits.  A large truck out back pumped water into the massive saw as it cut through the concrete. 

The old room heaters were thrown in a pile in the back lot.  As mentioned earlier in this journal, no one will miss those things.  Electrical units for heating and cooling will be installed in their place.

This evening I stopped by Missouri Hall and found a crew of two men removing and sorting all the toilets, sinks, and other bathroom fixtures from the building.  It really was something that you don't see every day, and I couldn't help but laugh.  It's good to see items like this coming out.  It shows that this renovation is going to be more than just new carpet and a fresh coat of paint. 

As interior demolition continues, look for more odd occurrences in the construction zone.  I'd like to think I won't be surprised by what is removed next, but I'm not ruling anything out.  I'm still waiting to see the first of the room windows removed.  Things will start looking different then.

August 20, 2006
Freshman Move-In, Not at MO Hall

The first-year students moved in to the Residence Halls at Truman today.  For the first time in a long time, none of them checked in to Missouri Hall.  MO Hall had been home to more first-year students that any other hall in recent years.  Dobson Hall has likely taken that title this year.

August 16, 2006
New Electricity Intake Installed

All the walls in the 150s wing are now down.  It is as if the entire wing is now one giant room.  I saw a worker today up in a "SnorkleLift."  He appeared to be measuring below the windows.  I wonder if they are getting ready to take out the windows and the brickwork below them to make room for the new windows and vents.

A team from Meyer Electric dug a trench today and began running new power into the building.  The conduit ran from a manhole near Brewer Hall to the 130s wing.  One of the workers said he worked on Missouri Hall when it was built in 1965.  I hope I get a chance to speak with this guy more in depth soon.

I saw that some of the doors in the 120s wing have been removed.  Are we getting new doors or are the old ones just being removed for the duration of the project?  It seems that some of the overhangs in the first floor rooms were removed.  I hope that is true all over the building.

August 15, 2006
Serious Hall Ball Violation

Not much new seems to have happened today.  I did notice for the first time that the heaters have been removed from rooms on the first floor.  I am positive no one is going to miss those units.  Demolition continued in the 150s wing.  I even saw a small forklift travel down the hallway.  That would not have been allowed just a few months ago.

August 14, 2006
Ripping Things Out

All the window screens are coming off today.  They fell in piles at the base of the building.  It was quite a site.  It makes me wonder if they are getting ready to remove the windows in the coming days. 

Many of the walls in the 150s wing have been removed in order to make way for the staff apartments.  You can now see all the way from room 159 to the lounge. 

Orange fences have been erected around many of the trees.  I hope this means they will be spared.  It would be nice to have some full trees on the grounds after work is finished. 

August 9, 2006
Walls are Coming Down

A great number of construction trailers and materials have arrived in the parking lot.  It looks like Meyer Electric of Columbia is one of the subcontractors.  The asbestos dumpsters are finally gone.  The fence is now locked down, so I can't get as close as I would like.

They have removed the mailboxes from the walls in the front lobby.  They are to be reused in the renovation.  Many of the windows in the front lobby have been marked with white paint.  These are the windows in the part of the building that will be torn down to make way for the new entrance and lobby.  Several of the windows in the rear of the building have been marked as well, like the old public bathroom and room 120.  I guess work will begin quickly on those sections.

I noticed the wall between the 130s bathroom and room 132 as been taken down.  This will allow for the creation of the new 1 South lunge.  I assume similar work is taking place in the 110s, 120s, and 140s wings.  I noticed crews were carting out old pipes, likely from the bathrooms on the first floor.

I returned today from a visit to Wisconsin and walked around Missouri Hall this evening.  Asbestos abatement seems to be nearly finished with only a couple floors of the north side remaining.  New paint marks the location of the underground tunnel into the building.  The back door on the south side has been removed and replaced with two modified room doors.  I peaked through the windows on the west side of the 150s wing.  Electrical outlets and wiring have all been ripped out. 

The fence around Missouri Hall went up three days ago.  They have taken over the entire south half of the parking lot.  Small amounts of materials and equipment are beginning to show up.  The asbestos dumpsters are still in the lot.

I went to see the building yesterday evening.  The window from room 122 was removed and the resulting hold was boarded up with plywood.  It seems work has really begun.

I went over to Missouri Hall today to check on the progress and take some photographs.  Coming out of several windows were large tubes fashioned from plastic sheeting.  I assumed these were related to the asbestos abatement.  I took pictures of the waste storage unit in back of MO.

As I was taking pictures of the tubing, I was met by a man on the abatement crew.  He thought I was perhaps an inspector, but I let him know I was the hall director.  I asked if he would explain what it is that his team was doing.  He explained that the plastic tubing was the exhaust system.  Large fan units draw air in from a window seal.  This air moves the free asbestos particles in the room into the air.  The asbestos laden air is then sucked into the large exhaust fans where it is filtered and released.  The air coming out of the plastic tubing is so well filtered that it is actually cleaner than the air initially brought into the building. 

The team has been on the job for a little over a week now.  Already they have cleared the asbestos from floors 2-5 on the south side.  The first floor is proving to be more difficult due to the type of glue used.  Still, the team expects to start on 5 North at the start of next week.

Work has begun on Missouri Hall!  I noticed a perimeter of orange spray paint around the building grounds yesterday.  I think it is marking where the construction fence will go.  River City has begun moving the wardrobes and remaining other furniture out of the the building and in to the gym of the old Greenwood School.  They have to lay the wardrobes on their sides and on a cart just to get them out the door.  Then the wardrobes are loaded on a U-Haul truck and then taken over to Greenwood.  It has to be a tough job, and I don't envy them for having to do it.

I hear that asbestos abatement will begin in the next few days.  When the original tile was laid in 1965, glue containing asbestos was used.  It has hidden safely under the tile and subsequent carpeting, but now it will be removed from the building.

It was confirmed today that a contractor has been hired for the renovation.  While the name of the firm could not be confirmed, I still hear that it is River City Construction, locally out of Columbia and based in Peoria, Illinois.  All aspects of the design were included in the bid, including the air conditioning, expanded front lobby, and exterior architectural changes. 

I heard today that River City Construction has been hired as the contractor for the renovation.  They are currently working on the new residence hall.  I will try and find out more details in the coming days.

I begin this journal to chronicle a year without Missouri Hall.  During this next year, the building will undergo an extensive renovation and addition.  My hope it keep a historical record of the those events.

I should begin by looking at where the project has already been.  Several years back, Truman hired the firm of Mackey-Mitchell to complete an analysis of our residential facilities.  Their recommendations would direct a comprehensive plan for the renovations and the construction of a new residence hall.  They were indeed hired to design the new hall, which is set to be completed by the end of this summer.  This allows us to close Missouri Hall for the 2006-2007 year.

The students all moved out on May 13.  The student staff had to leave the following day.  I was supposed to be out of my office by May 15 so the contractor could begin with asbestos abatement.  While the out date for the staff was on schedule, the contractor was not ready to go on May 15 as no contractor had been hired.  Only one bid had come in on the project, and that bid was too high.  The project would be put out to bid again,

As of today, no work has begun on the building.  River City Construction, per their contract with the new hall, has removed 400 of the beds, desks, and drawers, as well as 200 dressers, and placed them in the new hall.  The remaining beds, desks, and all of the 600 wardrobes will be pulled out by Missouri Hall's contractor and place in storage in the Greenwood School building.  The only work that has thus far been completed was done by Facilities Management before we vacated the building.  They removed any items of value that could be stored elsewhere and reused on campus.  The lounge furniture and several other items was sold at Auction in the building.

Missouri Hall is a very sad place for me right now.  Nothing looks as it should.  I lived and worked there for four years, so it is hard to see the building like this.  It seems to be missing all of its life.  It reminds me that the Missouri Hall experience is far more than just the building itself.

The Board of Governors met today in St. Louis.  They were supposed to select and announce which of the four new bids was selected, as well as a temporary name for the new hall.  Hopefully I will know more on Monday.  Hopefully work will begin soon.