Lindsey Coleman, News Editor

On March 8, a special joint meeting of the Board of Regents Buildings and Grounds and Finance Committees was convened to discuss possible reconstruction options for J. H. Richmond Residence Hall.

The cause of the explosion at New Richmond on June 28, 2017 is still under investigation by the state fire marshal, but the Board of Regents is exploring how to get the building back to its previous condition.

During the meeting, representatives from Luckett & Farley, an architecture group from Louisville, Kentucky who designed the original structure of Richmond Hall, gave a presentation about four possible avenues:

• Option 1: selectively demolish, repair/restore and replicate original 2008 design
  • Cost: $9,980,000
• Option 2: selectively demolish, repair/restore and repurpose
  • Cost: $10,740,000
• Option 3:  selectively demolish, repair/restore and significant repurposing
  • Cost: 11,140,000
• Option 4: demolish, reconstruct/replace and replicate 2008 design
  • Cost: 16,180,000

The President and CEO of Luckett and Farley, Aric Andrew, and architect John Whitney surmised that the building could be broken into three parts: areas of little visible damage, demolition with structure still intact and entire demolition.

No matter what option the Board of Regents selects, the representatives from Luckett and Farley advised that all drywall be inspected and removed if any signs of damage or mold are noticed. The elevator in Richmond will have to be removed as well. FM Global Insurance is expected to cover some costs of reviving the building.

On March 9 at the scheduled Board of Regents meeting in Pogue Library starting at 8:30 a.m., the Regents will discuss university matters and vote on the next course of action regarding Richmond Hall. The meeting can be live streamed here.