The completion date for Courtside renovations has been pushed because of delays in obtaining materials, while construction on Hedrick Hall and Rieber Hall will continue as planned.
Renovations to all eight Courtside buildings were originally scheduled for completion in December 2011, but are now planned for April 2012.
As each building prepares for construction, its residents must move to the most recently renovated house.
Construction began this quarter with building C4, which will be finished mid-April.
Upon completion, students currently occupying building C5 will move into the newly renovated building. Construction on building C5 will commence from there. Three more houses will be renovated in the summer, leaving the last three to be completed by April of next year.
Gabriel Montoya, a fourth-year American Indian Studies student and current resident of C5, said while the construction in C4 is not disruptive, having to move is unfair.
“It’s really an inconvenience,” Montoya said. “You spend two quarters with all of your possessions in one place and then you have to (relocate) …. It will be like move-in day all over again.”
Delays in beginning the project occurred because of a shortage in materials, said Frank Montana, construction mitigator for the Office of Residential Life. Contractors had to find substitutes for insufficient supplies and approve the new materials with the architect, contractor and project managers.
Originally, only the bathrooms were planned for renovation. Poor construction had caused moisture to become trapped in bathroom flooring and walls, Montana said.
Residents voiced complaints about “soft spots” in the floors, and Facilities Management began to notice a trend in those complaints, he said. They ultimately decided carry out a full-scale renovation of bathrooms, carpeting in hallways and tack-boards in rooms.
Courtside resident Julianne Sodergren said the initial news of construction was discouraging because residents were unsure when and how many times they would have to move.
However, since students will only be moving one time and will have help from hired movers, the second-year nursing student said she expects the switch won’t be too bad.
“We’ll provide boxes,” Montana said. “Students can leave the boxes in the room and tell the movers which room they need to go to.”
Other construction projects on campus are progressing as planned.
The renovation of Hedrick Hall is scheduled for completion in August, Montana said.
Hedrick Hall was made available for room signups, and will be open again for students to move in next fall.
Rieber Dining Hall is also scheduled to reopen next fall.
Housing and Hospitality Services will use the summertime to refine the menus and train any new employees, Montana said.
The dining hall will stick to an Asian theme, unlike the other dining halls that offer more generic menu items, Montana said. UCLA housing thought they should give the restaurant a name that would reflect the theme.
And while a specific name has yet to be chosen, Montana said UCLA housing is working on forming a student advisory group that will be the driving force for choosing a name.