Plans to renovate the Jefferson College Student Center on the Hillsboro campus have taken a step forward.
The college’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously March 11 to hire KRJ Architects of St. Louis to oversee the renovations. The firm will be paid 7.5 percent of the construction costs, which are estimated at $550,000.
Total costs for the project, including contingencies and furniture, are estimated at $680,000. The project will be funded with CARES Act money, college staff reported.
The project calls for the Student Center to be renovated to spread out offices and employees, as well as to create an admissions office suite that is open and accessible to the public, staff reported.
“Social distancing, that’s a big reason for the project,” said Dena McCaffrey, the college’s president. “To be able to meet one-on-one with students is extremely important.”
McCaffrey said a large part of the project calls for some of the offices upstairs to be moved to the bottom floor, which largely is occupied by a cafeteria.
“We are actually looking to move some functions of the facility,” she said. “For instance, our student government and clubs are being moved to the lower level containing the cafeteria. The cafeteria is big enough to share the space with other functions.”
The cafeteria will remain open during the work, McCaffrey said.
“It’s been offering carryout only during the COVID pandemic. I think that will continue through the rest of the semester,” she said.
McCaffrey said she doesn’t know yet when construction will begin, but she expects the project to finish before the start of the next fall semester.
“We think it will be done by mid-summer,” she said.
The board has not yet solicited bids for the construction, but will at an upcoming meeting, McCaffrey said.
Preparatory actions have begun.“Our advisors have already moved in the Technology Center building,” McCaffrey said.