NEWS

Student Center bathroom renovations begin next month

During renovations only one set of bathrooms will be shut down at a time. Work will be done when campus is closed or on the weekends to ensure noise is kept to a minimum.
Skye Bawol | The Washtenaw Voice

Yana Mcguire

Staff Writer

The WCC board of trustees approved the complete renovation of all 17 bathrooms in the Student Center on December 17, 2024. The projected 1,038,000 dollar project will start construction sometime in February, and is funded by the deferred maintenance fund.

There are two sets of male and female bathrooms on each floor that are used by students. During the renovations, only one set of bathrooms per floor will be shut down at a time. The remaining staff bathrooms will be worked in a similar manner, according to Craig Whipstock, WCC’s Associate Vice President of Facilities Operations.

There have been plans put in place to ensure the noise level during campus hours is kept to a minimum. For instance, major work that would consist of loud noises will either be done on the weekends or after the campus has closed.

The Student Center building is over 40 years old. Few renovations have been completed over the years, Whipstock said. This project will focus on replacing items including, but not limited to, wall/floor tiles, lighting, and domestic water piping. In addition, all toilets will be brought up to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance standard to ensure accessibility for people with mobility limitations.

All currently installed toilets are 15 inches off the ground. They will now be brought to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements of 17 to 19 inches.

“This is part of a five-year deferred maintenance plan,” Whipstock said. “The Student Center is the first (set of) restrooms that we’re going to be renovating. Next, we’re going to hit the LA building.”

After the LA building is complete, the plan will move on to either the GM building or the OE building. It has not been determined which one will be next at the time of publication.

There were seven contracting companies who bid on this project, with Krull winning due to being the most cost-efficient and responsible builder. Krull has worked with WCC on projects in the past. Most recently, it renovated the WTMC Office over the summer of 2024. The project was completed in September, according to Zoe Taube, WTMC Receptionist.