Sharp-Davis open after renovations
Sharp-Davis residence hall reopened to female students in August after the suite style dorm was closed for renovation during the 2022-2023 school year.
“I feel very fortunate that I get to live in Davis! The dorms are very roomy and living on hardwood makes cleaning so much easier!” said first semester freshman Eve Mattis.
The renovations are part of the overall maintenance plan for buildings throughout campus. Without renovations, Brian Conn, director of communications, said buildings would quickly lose functionality and overall value.
Sharp Davis Hall renovation is complete and once again houses students, after being closed for the 2022-2023 academic year. (Clarion File Photo)
“When there is a window of opportunity to work in the dorms and the dorm is ready for some of its components to be updated, we try to take advantage of that timing to get this necessary work done,” said Conn. “Dorms have a special place on that list…They are home to our students, and we are focused on making ‘home’ a good experience for them.”
Not only have dorm residents found their rooms with a fresh coat of paint, but the flooring has upgraded from carpet to new wood-look.
“There is the most beautiful sense of community among the staff at Sha-D as well as the entire Res Life staff,” said Sharp-Davis Residential Assistant Madelyn English. “There is no one else who understands the season you are walking through like another staff member. It is a blessing to pour into others.”
The Lee University staff has also been vocal in expressing their concern and desire to ensure safety as well as a good residential experience for all students living on and off campus.
According to Conn, the renovations started in January of 2023 and took approximately five months to complete. Once the uniform maintenance was accomplished, the 2023 Summer Honors students stayed in Sharp-Davis post renovation.
In order to accomplish the dorm revamping, the project was budgeted for $800,000. After necessary improvements were completed, including new flooring, electrical work, cleaning of the HVAC system, and much more, Conn said roughly $412,000 was spent.
The person who oversaw much of this project was Larry Berry, director of the university’s physical plant. Berry remained in contact with the many subcontractors who were involved. While the current renovations are done, the building as a whole will get continual upkeep as time progresses.
“What we wanted to get accomplished in this project is complete. But we are never done, both in the sense that this is all a slow cycle that will repeat years from now, and also in the sense that every building has its specific challenges and unplanned maintenance issues, which are addressed as they arise. Preventative maintenance like this project helps avoid a lot of those issues, but rarely all of them,” Berry said.
Sharp-Davis Hall has served as a home for many students past, present and future.
“We hope with this project we’ve added many more years and that it will be a comfortable, safe home for our students,” Conn said.