Riverside, Calif., August, 2000--La Sierra University's residence hall remodeling project is well under way.

According to Sue Curtis, dean of students and residential life director, not only will 74 rooms in Angwin Hall and 66 rooms in Sierra Towers be repainted and sporting new furniture by the time students arrive, but lobby remodeling projects will be underway in both buildings as well. By the start of the school year on Sept. 25, more than half of the projected 330 residence hall rooms will have undergone their remodeling facelifts.

Funding for the residence hall renovations came from several members of an alumni family. Though the donors have asked to remain anonymous, their $1 million gift was specifically earmarked toward improving the quality of residence hall life at the university.

The new room furniture, ordered from the University Loft company of Indianapolis, Ind., will not only improve overall room aesthetics, Curtis said, it also will be more functional than the current room furnishings. She said the new furniture will lend itself to a wide variety of room configurations and will be easier for any potential bunking or lofting projects. "We could have as many different room set-ups as we have students," she said.

Rooms in Angwin Hall will soon be appointed with new beds, dressers, chairs, desks, lights and ceiling fans. Because the desks and shelves are constructed into the rooms at Sierra Towers, the building's 132 rooms just need beds and chairs. But 1970s-era built-in furniture will be sanded and painted.

Another noticeable improvement in Sierra Towers will be in the building's bathrooms. New fixtures and floor covering are being put into each of the community bathrooms in the seven-story building, and bathrooms in the first three floors should be done by the time students arrive.

More than 60,000 square feet of carpeting will be laid in all the rooms, hallways and lobbies of the renovated Sierra Towers, and Angwin, Gladwyn and South halls. By late September, all of the hallways and half the rooms in Angwin Hall and Sierra Towers will be recarpeted.

In addition to new furniture and carpeting, the rooms' off-white paint will be replaced by a bright white hue. Walls, closets and woodwork will be repainted as part of the renovations. While a majority of the renovation projects are being done by workers from the university's Physical Plant, some carpeting and painting is being done by outside companies.

The residence hall renovation project could take up to three years to finish, particularly since the majority of work will be done during the summer months. After projects are completed on Sierra Towers and Angwin Hall, the largest residence halls, renovation and improvements will take place in South and Gladwyn halls.

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Story by Allison Lamon, Public Relations newswriting intern.