If students noticed that campus looked a little different when they returned this semester, it’s because significant renovations took place over the summer. Noticeable changes include the Evans Scholars House, Johnston Hall and the west steeple cross on Gesu Church. Click through the slideshow above to see photos, then read on below!
Evans Scholars House
Liam Sawyer, a junior in the College of Engineering and a member of the Evans Scholars Executive Board, said the renovations at the Scholarship House had been in the works for almost a decade. “Last year we had six people living in a room designed for four,” Sawyer said.
The House, which currently accommodates 34 men and 24 women, now has room for up to six more scholars. Besides interior restorations like more bedrooms, new carpet and air conditioning, construction also included an update of the exterior. There is a new entranceway and patio area facing Wells Street, a skylight above the western entrance and a black iron fence surrounding the property. Workers expanded the parking lot from 12 to 26 spots.
“It was surreal walking in the first time,” Sawyer said, “because it did not look like the house I left. It almost felt like it was… too nice, and I didn’t want to mess anything up at first.”
The renovations at the Evans Scholars House, which is owned by the Western Golf Association, took 90 days to complete and cost $1.6 million.
The House, which currently accommodates 34 men and 24 women, now has room for up to six more scholars. Besides interior restorations like more bedrooms, new carpet and air conditioning, construction also included an update of the exterior. There is a new entranceway and patio area facing Wells Street, a skylight above the western entrance and a black iron fence surrounding the property. Workers expanded the parking lot from 12 to 26 spots.
“It was surreal walking in the first time,” Sawyer said, “because it did not look like the house I left. It almost felt like it was… too nice, and I didn’t want to mess anything up at first.”
The renovations at the Evans Scholars House, which is owned by the Western Golf Association, took 90 days to complete and cost $1.6 million.
Johnston Hall
Non-communications students may not have noticed Johnston Hall’s interior makeover. Marquette’s second-oldest building underwent additional remodeling this summer, with the College of Communication primarily focusing on aesthetic improvements.
Dr. Lori Bergen, dean of the College, said the goal was to give Johnston a more contemporary feel. Floors three and four have a new laminate wood flooring, with tables and chairs lining the hallways beside the newly restored windows. Flat screen TVs and artwork from the Haggerty Museum adorn the walls. A classroom on the third floor has colorful desks with wheels, which both left- and right-handed students can use.
“The plan was … to try to make the building more beautiful,” said Bergen. She said the College wanted to “bring more life” to the building and “give people more sense of community.”
A new photography exhibit will go up soon, displaying work from alumnus Kevin Pauly. The basement will also have new signage to display work from current students. Johnston Hall will undergo further renovations during winter break.
Dr. Lori Bergen, dean of the College, said the goal was to give Johnston a more contemporary feel. Floors three and four have a new laminate wood flooring, with tables and chairs lining the hallways beside the newly restored windows. Flat screen TVs and artwork from the Haggerty Museum adorn the walls. A classroom on the third floor has colorful desks with wheels, which both left- and right-handed students can use.
“The plan was … to try to make the building more beautiful,” said Bergen. She said the College wanted to “bring more life” to the building and “give people more sense of community.”
A new photography exhibit will go up soon, displaying work from alumnus Kevin Pauly. The basement will also have new signage to display work from current students. Johnston Hall will undergo further renovations during winter break.
Gesu Church
Ongoing renovations at Gesu Church so far have yielded less obvious changes, but one eye-catching update is the new cross atop the west steeple.
John F. O’Brien, executive director of operations, said inspectors found the terra cotta on the west steeple to be in extreme disrepair. The steeple stands 260 feet in the air, said O’Brien, “so if we’re going to go all the way up on our steeple, one of the things that drove us up there is that cross.” The old tin cross, which was last retouched in the ‘80s, had deteriorated so badly that it had holes in its exterior.
According to O’Brien, workers from Millen Roofing helped remove the cross and its base, create a new copper cross and base, and place them atop the west steeple. Once in place, specialists from Conrad Schmitt Studios gilded the cross and base with gold leafing.
Construction on Gesu’s facade will continue throughout the next year, said O’Brien. “Instead of putting Band-Aids on it, we’re trying to do it right once for a long time.”
John F. O’Brien, executive director of operations, said inspectors found the terra cotta on the west steeple to be in extreme disrepair. The steeple stands 260 feet in the air, said O’Brien, “so if we’re going to go all the way up on our steeple, one of the things that drove us up there is that cross.” The old tin cross, which was last retouched in the ‘80s, had deteriorated so badly that it had holes in its exterior.
According to O’Brien, workers from Millen Roofing helped remove the cross and its base, create a new copper cross and base, and place them atop the west steeple. Once in place, specialists from Conrad Schmitt Studios gilded the cross and base with gold leafing.
Construction on Gesu’s facade will continue throughout the next year, said O’Brien. “Instead of putting Band-Aids on it, we’re trying to do it right once for a long time.”