Two renovation projects await the green light from the MSU Board of Trustees.
The board could approve plans to renovate Spartan Village Elementary and the fourth floor of the Hannah Administration Building at its Friday meeting.
MSU officials recommended that Spartan Village Elementary, which has been vacant for three years, be renovated to be used as a community center for the Spartan Village student apartment complex and provide more office space for University Housing because of its limited space across campus.
The board will be presented with a proposal to authorize plans to start the renovations and approve the $3.5 million budget for the Spartan Village renovations.
University Housing has been spread out all over campus, and Angela Brown, the director of University Housing, said this vacancy is something they needed to take advantage of.
"We had several apartments around the complex being used for certain services," Brown said. "When the school vacated three years ago, with its location, we felt the opportunity to make this plan would be beneficial for both parties."
Brown said if the board approves the plan, it would allow for more of the staff to be brought together, be more centrally located and include nicer study rooms and computer labs. Also, it would make it easier for people to get in contact with University Housing staff.
Spartan Village officials are also interested in and excited about the prospect of a community center for their complex, said Adam Koivisto, manager of university apartments.
"I think it's going to be an incredible asset for the community and Spartan Village," Koivisto said. "A lot of the programing will be directed toward kids, so this community center will be helpful to the older tenants, especially those with children, and not just the students."
Trustee Dee Cook said this idea could be very helpful to the tenants of the complex, as well as the university employees who work for housing services.
"I think it is always helpful when consolidating is being done for a number of reasons," Cook said. "There are a lot more cost effective ways, ability to streamline the work and you don't spend so much time running around."
If approved, officials will also begin planning additional offices, reception areas and a shared work and file room, and reconfiguration of conference rooms in the Administration Building.
Fred Poston, MSU's vice president for Finance and Operations, said the floor has not been renovated since the '60s when the building was constructed.
"We are at the very front end of the process," Poston said. "We still don't know if it is totally feasible."
Officials don't know the cost of the proposed renovations.
There are literally not enough offices for the number of employees on the floor, Poston said.
Trustee Donald Nugent said the increased space would provide a better workspace.
"It is severely worn and needs to be upgraded," Nugent said. "They will eliminate the long corridor and utilize the office space. It would create more usable space without changing the outside dimensions."
Carpeting, furniture and other renovations would also be considered in the fourth-floor makeover, Nugent said.
Cook said the current space is adequate but not in the right places.
"Some of the conference rooms are too big and (some) aren't big enough," Cook said. "Some offices need to be realigned. The idea is to move walls and make those more equal spaces."
Trustee David Porteous said this is just another opportunity to use an unused facility to benefit the university.
"Anytime we can save a facility that is not particularly being used now and put it to full use makes a lot of sense to me," Porteous said. "It becomes beneficial to all parties."
Staff writer Lindsay Machak contributed to this report.
