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Baxley Hall gets major renovation

By Russell Alston

Coastal Carolina University’s Offices of Admissions, Financial Aid, and Student Accounts will soon have a new place to call home. Work began April 8 on the Baxley Hall renovations, home of the former bookstore, which will put three of CCU’s most essential services under one roof.

Renovations to the 11,815-square-foot space make this job a departure from the construction of new buildings seen on campus the last few years. Bill Wendle, project manager with CCU’s Department of Facilities and Planning, says that since there is already a structure in place, most of the work includes ripping out the ceiling and carpet, new walls and office space to give the hall some new guts.

Offices will be shuffled around in various buildings until the final completion of  the renovaton project, scheduled for June. “It’s part of a dominoes effect to make it Baxley Hall a one-stop shop for students,” says Wendle.

The job shouldn’t been seen as a cakewalk, however. Rein Mungo, director of University Projects and Planning, believes a job such as the Baxley renovations has its own set of difficulties.

“It’s not necessarily easier,” says Mungo. “In fact, it’s more aggravating.”

“You’re confined to a space,” says Wendle, “so you have to work with the number of new offices within a confined space. It makes it a little more of a struggle to work with boundaries.”

The team had “frequent collaborations” with the employees of the three departments of the best way to utilize the space, including Greg Thornburg, vice president of enrollment services.

“We were a house divided into two buildings,” says Thornburg, “now, all our staff will be in one space. This will be great for team unity.”

Student accounts and its 20-plus employees will reside on the left of the building, while the 35 employees of admissions will employ the left.

“You can expect glass and teal everywhere,” says Thornburg. “Plenty of open light will also stream through.
More than that, the new hall will serve as the hub for prospective students and their parents.

 

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