New and Remodeled Buildings Open for Fall
Just in time for students' return to campus, Radford University opened its new College of Business and Economics (COBE) building and reopened facilities on which work was completed over the summer.
COBE faculty and staff members packed up their offices in July and moved earlier this month into the $44 million, 110,000-square-foot COBE complex. The building's classrooms feature laptop-friendly student desks and interactive whiteboards. Collaborative meeting spaces complement lecture rooms, and the building has the latest in research capacity and technology.
The new COBE building has rooms large and small for classes and special lectures.
Across campus, Moffett Hall reopened after a year of renovations that began with asbestos abatement—Moffett was built in 1963—and ended with delivery of all-new furniture. The residence hall's floor plan now consists mostly of two-person rooms, each with its own bath. Meeting and study spaces, lounges, kitchens and laundry rooms were added, and access was improved throughout to accommodate those with disabilities.
The improvements are similar to those completed a year earlier in the Madison and Jefferson residence halls. With sustainability in mind, existing doors were reused when possible, low-flow toilet fixtures and shower heads were installed in all bathrooms, and bamboo, a rapidly renewable wood, was used for lounge flooring.
Moffett Hall, built in the 1960s, was remodeled with sustainability features throughout.
Another face lift took place in the Bondurant Auditorium. New carpeting was installed, the ceiling was repainted, and the house lights were replaced with high-efficiency LED lighting. The panels in front of the organ pipes were rebuilt with oak to match a new stage façade. The 1,500-seat auditorium also got a new digital sound system.
More campus improvements are in the works. The construction fence is already in place for the new Center for the Sciences, and groundbreaking is set for later in the fall for the new Student Fitness and Wellness Center. Washington Hall is also scheduled for a makeover.