Six-story residence building Brodhead House is set to face long-anticipated renovations this summer.
Built in 1979, Brodhead will be receiving a variety of interior redesigns to modernize the space. It is commonly used for second-year students and is one of the closest housing locations to the rest of the South Side.
Lehigh Housing Director Ozzie Breiner said the project is managed by the Facilities Planning Team and is estimated to cost around $2 million.
Breiner said renovations of this scope are usually anticipated to take up to four months to complete. However, Lehigh only has three months to complete the project to ensure student housing is available in the fall.
Breiner said the renovations were set to occur about three years ago but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Pretty much everything you look at in Brodhead will be replaced or painted,” Breiner said.
He said renovations are set to begin on May 18 and will continue through Aug. 10, in preparation for early arrival of students for the fall 2023 semester.
The renovations include new flooring, carpeting, color schemes, paint jobs and furniture. Breiner said the furniture will be similar to the furniture in the Singleton, Hitch and Maida houses.
Bathtubs will be ripped out and replaced with walk-in showers, new vanities will be installed with new lighting, and vinyl tile will replace carpeting in the common area of each suite.
There is currently a kitchenette on each floor with a connecting studying room. Breiner said in order to make best use of the space and prevent excess maintenance, the building will be renovated to include one full-sized kitchen on the third floor instead. Each individual floor will have a microwave and counter spaces.
Breiner said Brodhead Dining Hall, located on the first floor of the building, will not be renovated, as it is a “completely different entity.”
The furniture that is currently in Brodhead will be relocated or donated to local furniture banks to be repurposed.
Ava Baker, ‘25, said she believes the updates may increase student interest to live in Brodhead in the upcoming years.
“Some people are definitely biased against the location,” Baker said. “But if it looks nicer, people will be more inclined to at least look around.”
Noah Griffin, ‘25, is a resident in Brodhead and will be a Gryphon in the dorm next semester.
He said renovations will help transform the building from “feeling like a 70s hotel” into a more modern living space.
“When your place looks better, your room looks better, and your energy is better,” Griffin said.
Breiner said the goal of the renovation is to create a refreshed building for residents.
“We want to provide them with a much more comfortable, usable living space,” Breiner said.
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