Alumni Hall: Preserving the Past, Preparing for the Future

Bluefield University’s Alumni Hall, one of the oldest residence halls on campus, has been a cornerstone of student life since its construction in 1980. For more than four decades, it has served as a home for primarily male students; however, in recent years the building has faced numerous challenges, including water leaks and multiple fires, leading to its closure. Despite the setbacks, Alumni Hall remains an important piece of campus history, and BU administrators are looking to restore the facility for service in the near future.

Vice President for Student Development Corey Mullins said the university is committed to maintaining residence halls that meet modern housing standards and provide a safe, comfortable environment for students. He said Alumni Hall was not meeting those standards and that needed to be addressed.

“Alumni (Hall) was taken offline this year because we felt that it did not meet the standard that we wanted for our students,” Mullins said. He added that he closure ensures that current and future students can trust the university’s dedication to providing quality accommodations. BU’s Hal Keene, director of facilities, agreed.

“Back in the spring we ended up having to move some students,” Keene said, “because every time we turned around we had water issues with leaks in the bathroom and with water heater plumbing.”

Plans to address the issues are already in motion. The university is evaluating the costs, timeline, and scope of the necessary improvements. Keene said completely renovating the building, including new heating and cooling, would cost an estimated $500,000 to $1 million. Building a brand new residence hall similar to that of Alumni Hall, he projected, would cost somewhere between $6 million to $10 million. Since renovation is the more viable project, Keene said the university is currently requesting quotes from local contractors for a remodel. The challenge, he added, is finding a local contractor who’s available.

“All these big contractors are booked out for like six months or a year,” Keene said. “We have a few quotes we’re still working on and trying to get other quotes. We’re trying to find out how much we’re going to need to appropriate for the project.”

Keene said he’d love to start the renovation sometime early spring of 2025 so that the project would be finished before the fall of 2025 and available for housing needs for the start of 2025-2026 academic year.

Fully operational, Alumni Hall houses 46 residential students. Keene described the building as “indestructible” with a strong foundation and structure, including concrete floors, block walls, and brick veneer. He also noted that the facility also has a new roof, installed about two years ago. In addition to new heating and cooling systems, Keene said the renovation project would include the installation of new hot water systems, new bathrooms and new flooring, among other improvements.

Mullins added the securing the funding for the project is of utmost importance.

“Funding is key to any facility improvement,” Mullins said. “So we would need to secure the necessary money before we move forward with any renovations. The potential renovations could involve extensive updates, including gutting each room, upgrading fixtures and amenities, and possibly installing HVAC systems to improve airflow.”

The improvements, Mullins added, would bring Alumni Hall up to institutional standards, ensuring it can serve as a functional and comfortable residence for future students. And while historically, Alumni Hall has housed male students, the planned renovations could impact all students, depending on the university’s future housing plans.

“I think that it would cost a lot of money to restore Alumni (Hall), but I think that it would be beneficial to have that dorm,” said BU sophomore Tristen Gillenwater about the buidling’s potential restoration, “so that we can grow our campus community and there will be more room to house students.”

This shared sentiment between students and university officials underscores the importance of Alumni Hall’s preservation. While the timeline for renovations remains uncertain, the commitment to restoring this historic building is evident.