Murray State University Board of Regents committees held a special meeting on Thursday to consider options for the future of the residential college that exploded last summer.
Members of Louisville-based architecture firm Luckett & Farley presented slides outlining potential costs and designs for J.H Richmond Residential College. The firm was the architect of the building. The presenters were Architect and President and CEO Aric Andrew and Market Director for Higher Education John Whitney Jr.
Shown here is the first floor of the current structure. The area marked in red is closest to the blast and considered 'gone.' The yellow area notes where there would be significant clearing out - where everything would be removed but the metal studs, steel structure and concrete slabs. The green area had little visible damage, but aspects like mechanical units, lighting and other elements would be replaced. The architects said they were "extremely confident" that the building could be restored with its existing frame.
One option of just under $10 million was to repair and restore the building to its original 2008 design. Other proposals between $10.7 and $11.1 million would include some repurposing, such as expanding the lobby, adding natural lighting or creating a balcony. A fourth option was to demolish and reconstruct the building. This was the most expensive - at more than $16 million. Each option also had an additional construction contingency should anything unexpected need to be addressed along the way. (See the summary below)
Luckett & Farley showed slides of what some of the concepts beyond a rebuild would look like. The less expensive 'repurposing' option involved expanding the center lobby commons on each floor and repurposing classroom/meeting rooms (that they said were underutilized) to be bedroom suites and a balcony on the second floor on the side opposite the street. A more expensive option involved a significant expansion of the lobby on the first floor, an expansion to lobbies on the other floors and a large commons area on the second floor with an open space looking down to the first-floor lobby. These options were only concepts designed to show possibilities. The final design may or may not include these changes or could be a hybrid.
The fourth option to completely demolish and completely rebuild to its original design was the most expensive. As the board considered this, it appeared to be the least desirable as it might limit the insurance factor, potentially cost more out of university accounts and also had the longest timeline for completion. If the board votes on Friday to authorize the proposal put forth by the committee in this meeting, then it would effectively eliminate this fourth option.
The Building and Grounds Committee and Finance Committee voted to bring to the full board on Friday (during the regular Board of Regents meeting) an authorization to restore the building and to appropriate $2 million for upgrades. President Bob Davies said this money could pay for design changes or for other aspects that could improve the space. Such changes would come from university funds - not insurance. The board would hold a meeting at a later date to approve any such changes.
Funding for the rebuild would come from insurance (this would not include any elective changes to the building). The exact amount varies depending on things that may come up in the construction process, like mold or water damage in the area less visibly impacted by the blast. The estimated ballpark was around $12.3 million. This number would be in addition to the $500,000 already spent on remediation, according to Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services Jackie Dudley. The insurance would be paid incrementally as the project progressed. The insurance company is FM Global.
Luckett & Farley said they're prepared to begin 'almost immediately' and mentioned an April timeframe. A bid package would then go out for construction, which could begin by mid-August. If the option to repair the building (including any design changes) begins soon, the estimated completion is mid-July 2019. Should the board decide to demolish and rebuild completely, the estimated time frame for that is December 2019.
The exact cause of the blast remains under State Fire Marshal investigation. There is no time frame as to the completion of that investigation. Kentucky State Police has said the blast was natural gas related and other media reports point to the incident involving a damaged gas regulator. One employee was injured in the blast. No students were harmed.
