Marion Tech receives $1.5 million to make Bryson Hall a more 'student-friendly' space
Marion Technical College's Bryson Hall is going to be getting a facelift.
State Representative Tracy Richardson announced $1.5 million will be released to Marion Tech to renovate the 44-year-old building which is used by the college for administrative and faculty offices, a student lounge, classrooms and laboratories.
The money comes from a capital improvement appropriation out of the Higher Education Improvement Fund (HERF). A small portion of the grant will also be used to accomplish the renovation project, Marion Tech's Vice President for Business Affairs and Chief Financial Officer Rhonda Ward explained.
Through this money, the building will be made more "student-friendly," which is to include developing a student service center and improve the safety of the building by installing a building-wide fire alarm system, according to the release. Office space for faculty and administrative staff will also be increased and corridor finishes are to be updated.
A two-phase project that will be completed by the end of the year, the renovation is expected to begin in the next several weeks after paperwork is finalized. Bryson Hall is to remain fully operational during this time, so construction will take place while the building is occupied, Ward noted.
The first phase of the construction project will be building a "one stop student service center," which will provide a centralized space for students to access resources. This phase of the project will wrap up in September of this year.
“We will be constructing a ‘one stop’ here at the college and what that is for us is bringing together our student center departments, such as financial aid, admissions, the business office, or where you pay your college bill, and then the registrar’s office, where they take care of grades and transcripts," Ward said.
"It’s going to be pulling all of those offices together in one convenient location for students and making that kind of the front face of the building as you come in.”
A second phase of the project will then commence which will include expanding staff offices, building new restrooms, adding a lactation room for nursing mothers and relocating the staff mail room.
“That will really be the first major renovation on the building since the mid-90s and it’s going to allow us to adapt the building to better meet the student needs, like I said, bringing all of those services to one convenient location for them will help us better recruit, enroll and then retain students,” Ward said.
This second phase is expected to be concluding in December 2022.
In the release announcing the funds, Richardson addressed the renovation on behalf of the state.
“Marion Tech has more than 50 years of history providing students with higher education that helps expand Central Ohio’s technical workforce,” she said.
"I’m pleased the state could grant the college’s request to make significant improvements to the campus that will help further the student’s educational experience.”
Story by: Sophia Veneziano (740) 564 - 5243 | sveneziano@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion Tech receives $1.5 million Bryson Hall renovation project
