The sounds of hammers, saws and drills ring throughout Bowling Green State University campus as construction begins to get underway at a few of the University’s residence halls.

Interior renovations to Offenhauer, Kohl, Rodgers and Harshman are part of an extensive list of improvements being made to housing and other campus facilities this summer.

“In Offenhauer we are renovating the bathrooms, upgrading the plumbing and putting in operable windows in all sides. We are finishing up the East tower to match the West,” said Tim Carney, assistant director for Residence Life.

Summer renovations push Offenhauer into the second phase of construction, which has been part of a long-range plan that is expected to be completed in summer 2005.

Other scheduled improvements this summer will include data and telecommunications upgrades in both Kohl and Offenhauer as well as electrical upgrades and computer lab improvements in Rodgers Hall. These renovations, Carney says, are badly needed.

“A lot of these buildings need to be renovated because some of them were built prior to 1960, and it’s been over 40 years since they have seen improvements,” Carney said.

According to Carney the greatest improvements will be the data and telecommunications upgrades made in Offenhauer and Kohl hall.

“We are learning from a facility stand point that internet and data is by far now a primary service and people depend on it today and that definitely wasn’t the case when these buildings were built 10 to 40 years ago,” Carney said.

These improvements have become an economic commitment to the University, with some individual projects costing over $5 million, according to the University’s Design and Construction website.

Renovations are being funded by a $13 million bond as well as through other secondary sources says Carney.

He assures that the prices of these renovations will not creep into student fees.

“There is nothing directly charged to the student. We are capable of refinancing a lot of our debt. When we did borrow the $13 million students saw no increase,” Carney said.

Renovations are scheduled to end August 1. However, Carney says workers will have some leeway since most students do not comeback until a week before the start of the fall semester.

Carney says the ultimate goal of the renovations is to provide top facilities for Bowling Green students.

“If you compare facilities like Kohl Hall to a building that was built during the same time frame on another campus I’d say we we’re doing pretty well, better off than most,” Carney said.