Building development underway

Missouri+Southern+students+exit+the+Reynolds+annex+facility+after+morning+classes+on+Thursday%2C+Feb.+4%2C+2016.+Renovations+of+the+third+floor+of+Reynolds+hall+continue%2C+forcing+the+university+to+use+the+former+FEMA+trailers.

Pablo Ortiz, The Chart

Missouri Southern students exit the Reynolds annex facility after morning classes on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016. Renovations of the third floor of Reynolds hall continue, forcing the university to use the former FEMA trailers.

 

Students of Missouri Southern may have noticed that some of their classes take place in Reynolds Annex, two FEMA trailers that are temporarily replacing the third floor of Reynolds Hall. The building will be undergoing some pretty big changes in the coming two years.

Bob Harrington, physical plant director, explained that the renovations started out simply.

“Primarily what we started out to do is to renovate the chemistry labs which are on the first floor,” Harrington said. “They need to be updated.”

But as time went on, the renovations of Reynolds Hall became even more complicated.

Harrington explained that the decision to renovate the third floor had to do with the expulsion of fumes from the chemistry labs. He went on to say that moving the labs to the third floor would allow the duct work to be done in the roof, which would save space. 

The third floor isn’t the only thing being renovated, however. Part of the first floor, which will house the biology labs, will also be renovated, along with a couple of classrooms on the second floor. 

The preliminary demo work on the building will begin in April, with the major demo work beginning in May, after school has ended. 

“The intent is to have the third floor completely done by December of 2016,” Harrington said. 

In the meantime, the annex’s presence is affecting more than just the students who have classes in it. Megan Freitas, freshman undeclared, offered her comments on the renovation.

“I wasn’t on the third floor of Reynolds that much so I don’t know the before picture, but I heard they were outdated and needed the update. I think it’s a good idea,” Freitas said. “It’s a little difficult with having to move the classes so far out of the way, and in a parking lot, because it’s a little difficult to find good parking now.”

Students won’t have to deal with the annex for very long, however.

“By the fall semester of 2017 we should have everybody out of the annex and back into Reynolds,” Harrington said.