Towers Renovations Officially Begin

Whether you’re just finishing your first semester or your last here at Concord University, chances are that you’ve heard about the renovation to the Towers dormitory. Over the years, several rumors and plans have floated around campus about what’s going to happen and when it will happen. Now, students need not wonder any longer, for the renovation project has begun!

    The ground-breaking ceremony was met with “liquid sunshine,” as Dr. Kendra Boggess put it, on April 22, 2016. In her opening remarks, Dr. Boggess marked the occasion as “an inspiring and critically needed upgrade for our Towers dormitory,” and followed by saying “this is the culmination of years of planning and foundational work, and we thank those before us for their hard work, their vision, and their support. This day has been years in the making.” Dr. Boggess sends her sincere thanks to several people who helped to make this project possible, including all who were personally involved in the planning, such as various faculty members, the Student Government Association, and even several parents. Dr. Boggess also wishes to thank Bill Fraley and the housing staff for their continued patience and hard work keeping the students’ needs at the forefront of their work as the project is beginning, and also wishes to thank the students for their patience in the same regard. 

    Over the next one and a half years, students can expect to see Towers being renovated at a rate of 30 rooms at a time, which means that students occupying those rooms will be temporarily moved to Sarvay Hall. While this might be an inconvenience for most, if not all of the students involved, Dr. Boggess and the other faculty working on this project assure that this temporary inconvenience is for the greater good. Jody Driggs, Principal of Silling Associates and Head Architect on the Towers renovation, insists that the new buildings will be “smarter than water,” which he states is a key component in becoming an architect, and points out as a characteristic that Towers in its current state is lacking. Fully renovated rooms and bathrooms, better wired and wireless technology, and better working, more consistent elevators are all on the list of things that Driggs wishes to see students using once the project is completed.

    In addition to both Dr. Boggess and Jody Driggs, a few other speakers were in attendance at the groundbreaking to represent various facets of Concord University’s governing body, such as Elliot Hicks, Chair of the Concord University Board of Governors; Ronni Wood, President of Concord’s Student Government Association; and Dr. Peter Viscusi, Academic Dean of Concord University. Unfortunately, one of the speakers, Mike Browning, who is the Regional Coordinator for the Honorable Joe Manchin, could not be in attendance at the ceremony due to a scheduling conflict. All those who spoke at the ceremony shared their common aspirations and hopes that this project will be a resounding success for all involved.

    After hearing some inspiring words from all who spoke, those in attendance were invited to join the speakers in posing with the golden shovels produced to commemorate the event. Ironically, the speakers were instructed not to actually make any marks to the ground, so the actual “groundbreaking” was more ceremonial than physical.

Several people, including the students and faculty of Concord, local news media, and even the town of Athens are excited to see this project underway. As Dr. Boggess stated in her opening remarks, “I look forward to standing here with you upon the successful completion of this project, and cutting the ribbon in 2018.”