The long-awaited renovation of Beverly Hall at Alabama State University is making progress despite numerous challenges that have caused delays and increased costs.
According to Donald Dotson, the university’s vice president for Facilities Management and Operations, the renovation has been a complex process due to the building’s age and unforeseen structural issues.
“At this point, we are still in the process of doing the build-out,” Dotson said. “One of the many pullbacks we’ve had is that the building is an older building. I think it was taken offline maybe in 2010 or 2011, prior to this administration getting here. So it’s been dormant for that period of time.”
According to Dotson, the previous administration made some exterior updates, including window replacements and mechanical work. However, once renovations resumed, major structural problems surfaced, including lead paint and asbestos, which halted progress for six months and added nearly $900,000 to the budget. Additionally, continued water intrusion required extensive investigation and mitigation efforts.
“So it’s causing problems there (Beverly Hall) and Lockhart, where that water is, so we had to dig out the entire courtyard. That took us another four months out of what we were trying to do,” Dotson said. “We surmised, at this point, that it is something with the sewer design and the drain design. So at this point, I’m waiting on engineers to go ahead and follow the drains where they are going across campus from that building to see where they’re collapsed at. Once we mitigate that, then we can get back into what we’re going to do there and get back to the work that we have.”
Despite these setbacks, progress is being made. The basement of Beverly Hall, which will house the university’s Health Center, is nearly complete. The project also includes modern upgrades, such as a new elevator and HVAC units, after the previous units installed in 2007 were deemed unusable due to asbestos contamination.
“We anticipate, right now, to be done in the summer. It is not like we’re just twiddling our thumbs,” Dotson said, acknowledging the various delays. While the original budget was estimated at $5 million, costs have now risen to approximately $7 million due to the additional work required.
Liberty Construction is the contractor responsible for the renovations, with Goodwyn Mills and Cawood serving as the architect of record.
“One of the things that we’ve facilitated since we’ve been here is we’ve taken care of a lot of deferred maintenance,” Dotson explained. “We make sure that we follow the warranty. We make sure that we also get service agreements to make sure that we can maintain.”
Dotson also noted the historical significance of Beverly Hall, which adds another layer of complexity to the project.
“As a former student of Ole Mother Dear, I had classes there in the ‘70s, so I truly understand it has a special meaning,” he shared. “We’re trying to keep it in its original form, and I think that’s causing a lot of the issues as well as time. If we were just to go ahead and transform it, it would have been a lot easier, but we’re trying to keep the historical piece of it, so that’s taking us some time.”
Beyond Beverly Hall, the university is also undertaking several other construction projects, including renovations at Paterson Hall, Trenholm Hall, the Fine Arts Building and two apartment complexes.
“We’re looking at adding an addition to Fine Arts—a little dance theater, if you will. I’m meeting with Dr. Wendy Coleman and her group with the architect. We’re also in the process of redoing the auditorium in G.W. Trenholm, putting in new seats, flooring, sheetrock work, lighting, that sort of thing. We’ve also done a lot of work on the second floor and in the classrooms of G.W. Trenholm,” Dotson added.
With so many projects underway, Dotson acknowledged that communication is key.
“What we’re doing is addressing the needs of the students. Because the campus is so large, sometimes I think communication is a barrier at times. With our new work order system, we can have better communication and response time to keep you all informed,” he said.
Ultimately, the goal is to enhance the student experience and maintain the university’s historic campus while modernizing key facilities.
“We’re trying to make it a safe place where you feel that’s conducive for living, learning and excitement,” Dotson said. “We’re not stopping right there. We’re looking at expanding the footprint of the university. President Ross has a vision, and we’re going to make sure that we adhere to his vision to take us to greater heights.”