2003 East Hall Report

In Fall 2002, the Western Michigan University Administration requested that the Department of Campus Planning (now Planning, Space Management and Capital Projects) review the 1996 Building Renovation Study, a comprehensive analysis of the condition of East Hall prepared by the joint venture of Diekema Hamann Architects and the SmithGroup’s Architects Four, and update the report's cost projections for possible renovation of East Hall.

The original 1996 study presented eight alternative solutions to restore and renovate East Hall. The sections on “Comprehensive Building Analysis” and “Recommended Renovation Work” define the scope and quality of work necessary to renovate the building to historic standards, and were used by the consultants in preparing the original 1996 construction cost projections. These numbers have been escalated to current and projected construction numbers (2003 and 2007 fiscal years). Soft cost allowances have been added to generate a projected total project cost for each of the eight alternatives. "Soft cost" refers to project fees, furnishings and equipment, information technology and security infrastructure, site work, hazardous materials abatement and moving costs.

In addition, Campus Planning developed a concept plan to test the space's potential for “office use” and to determine occupancy requirements. The test plan “moved” the University’s administrative offices to East Hall. The test included estimated costs of fixing the major barrier free and Americans with Disabilities Act issues, and identified most site, parking and infrastructure requirements. The test provided the basis for the model used to generate the soft cost allowances for the project.

East Hall Study

Main report
Appendix 1: "December 17, 2002 Meeting and Report".
Appendix 2: "Updated Renovation Options and Projected Costs".
Appendix 3:" Summary Sheet of Total Project Costs" and Appendix 4: "Computations for Total Construction Costs".
Appendix 5: "Excerpts from 1996 Diekema Hamman Study".