By Michaela Cleveland, Staff Writer

Published in print Aug. 27, 2014

The beginning of the 2014-2015 academic school year brought many changes to the campus of UNCG.

One of the most noticeable structural changes to the campus is the newly renovated high-rise dorm, Reynolds hall. “I’m glad to hear that they had it renovated,” said Alaisha Pratt, a senior at UNCG.

“I lived there my freshman year and it was a lot of fun. I’m still friends with the people I met in my hall.”

The renovations for Reynolds started at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year. Shutting down the building entirely, the construction took about a year to complete. “I was surprised when I came back to campus,” said Pratt. “But I know the building had some issues. Like when I lived there the washers were pretty bad. They would mess up my clothes and I didn’t like the building much either but I still had fun while I lived there.”

That is all changing for the current residents of Reynolds Hall. The building is equipped with brand new furnishings and elevators, a full paint job for the building, bathrooms, as well as electrical and plumbing systems.

While the building underwent several changes, the inside resembles the structure of the other two high-rise dorms, Grogan and Cone.

The renovations for this building cost about 7.5 million dollars.

“It looks different, but the same. Everything is a lot newer and cleaner. 7.5 million dollars is a lot of money. I wonder why it cost so much but I wouldn’t even know what that money could do,” said Pratt.

Currently, the high-rise next door to Reynolds, Grogan, is undergoing the same renovations during the 2014-2015 school year.

Expected to open in the following year, currently Grogan Residential College, a learning community here on campus, is being housed in Reynolds this school year.

A past Peer Academic Leader (PAL), Kayla Pratt, shared her thoughts about the renovations to the high-rises. “I lived in Grogan for two years, but I spent a lot of time in Reynolds because I had a lot of friends that lived there, even my cousin lived there,” Pratt said. “It had a lot of problems because the building was getting older and needed some upkeep. When I walked in the other day, it was weird because it looked the same structurally but it was really different from what I remember freshman year. Like, even the decorations were different. Now they’re everywhere and extremely cheery.”

And the students seem to be loving their new home. Freshman Katherine Davis, commented on her experience living in the brand new Reynolds hall. “I like it a lot. Especially when I go visit other people on campus and I see that their buildings look kinda old. I’m grateful to be where I’m at.”

The renovations for Grogan Residence Hall will cost approximately 8 million dollars. It is expected to open fall of 2015.

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