Southeast Missouri State University student publication

Renovations to Brandt stairs, boiler plant underway

Monday, August 18, 2014
Current Brandt Stairs before the Completed Renovation

The renovation of the stairway next to Brandt Hall at Southeast Missouri State University is about to begin. This project is in conjunction with the renovations being made to the campus boiler plant next to the stairs.

According to Angela Meyer, director of Facilities Management at Southeast, the plant renovations have been going on since late May. So far all coal-related equipment has been removed. In addition, new windows have been installed and some roof work has been done.

"At this point, we are about 30 percent of the way into the plant renovations," Meyer said.

At this point, work is being done on the building's east facade. There are also plans to reconstruct the south facade using brick masonry stone. According to artwork of the finished renovations, Facilities Management will have Southeast banners hanging from the sides of the plant. The painted billboards are going to be kept.

"The renovations to the boiler plant are more aesthetic than anything else," Meyer said. "The plant will have the same function it always had, so it will not affect students."

Meanwhile, the stairs are just about ready to be demolished. The stairs will be rebuilt wider than before, with two points of entry into a plaza near the top. This plaza will have benches, outdoor lighting and an emergency call box.

"The area between Brandt and the boiler plant has had an industrial feel that does not fit well with the rest of the campus," Meyer said. "It lies at the core of the campus, so we felt that it should feel more inviting to the students who travel through that area."

The $2.4 million renovations are on track to be finished by November. However, the area between Brandt and the plant, which extends along the south side of Parker Field and Cheney Drive, will be closed through the end of the fall semester. The new stairs are expected to be opened to students by the start of the spring semester.

To accommodate for the construction, the Department of Public Safety helped to establish detours for students to follow. Students traveling to the west side of campus will be able to go around Parker and Cheney Hall and the Art Building. People walking to or from Towers will be able to cut through Brandt.

"This project will help clean up the central core of campus and create a more inviting place for students to travel through," Meyer said. "I hope that the students will be pleased with this outcome."

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