Work on D Vickers Hall and Pottle Auditorium has made substantial progress in recent months, with the university’s Facility Planning Department repairing and improving the hurricane-damaged buildings.

Prior to Ida, the renovation project for D Vickers had been in the works for some time, reaching the planning stage in 2020. In addition to repairing storm damage, the updates to D Vickers’ interior and exterior are meant to modernize the 1970s building and enhance it for student and faculty purposes. 

Communication and Media Studies department head Dr. James O’Connor said the renovations will bring positive change for video production and television instruction on campus.

“The renovation will create a high-visibility state-of-the-art television and video production teaching space that will position Southeastern as a cutting-edge media program and educate students for meaningful work in the 21st century,” O’Connor said.

While the repairs and updates to D Vickers are still being made, classes that were previously held in the building will continue to be held in different locations until the restoration is complete. 

The interior of the building will be completely renovated; it will feature state of the art classroom and lab space. Faculty will have new areas designated for the College of Arts and Humanities departments that use the hall. 

A new broadcast media center will be added on the library side of the building and will extend out to SGA Drive. This area of the hall will be closed off until completion. 

Completing all necessary renovations for D Vickers is expected to take 18-24 months. Kenneth Howe, director of Facility Planning, said despite having to make adjustments to the construction of D Vickers, the repairs are going according to plan. 

“The plan changed somewhat after Hurricane Ida last year. There was going to be one large contract, but there was some damage to the building due to the hurricane. We now have three contracts: the demolition and abatement of the building’s interior along with the removal and replacement of the roof which started last month and should be finished in the first quarter of the year,” Howe said. 

Facility Planning will be taking bids for the larger renovation project after the first of the year and construction will be in the first half of the year. Pottle’s interior reconstruction has been completed, while the exterior restoration of the building is still in progress. 

“The exterior project is the brick restoration, which has been under contract for a while now. The issue we’re having right now is with the brick itself and that is due to be delivered in March and we will be able to begin reinstallation of that by the summer,” Howe said. 

The restoration of both buildings will mean students and faculty will be able to enjoy an improved work environment when they are able to return. Information about the additional renovations being made to D Vickers can also be found here.