The Board of Trustees Executive Committee approved funding in the amount of $8.75 million for improvements to two residence halls and Wagoner Dining Hall last week. More than half of the money will go toward the installment of fire and sprinkler systems and the replacement of deficient HVAC systems in Schwartz Hall and University Suites. Nearly $4 million will be used for improvements to infrastructure, HVAC systems, electrical systems, plumbing, window replacement, accessibility, fire protection, restrooms and structural issues in Wagoner Hall.

The fire and sprinkler systems are compulsory; the UNC General Administration now requires these systems in all residence halls. “A fire in a residence hall is a dangerous situation,” said Charles Maimone, Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs at UNCW. All other UNCW residence halls have been outfitted over the last five summers with fire safety equipment. Maimone said the project will be finished a year before the given deadline of February 2012.

In addition, the new HVAC systems in Schwartz and University Suites will allow for individual control and conserve energy. “University Suites is 22 years old and has been in continuous use,” Maimone said. “The equipment was not designed to last this long. We are spending too much time keeping it up.”

Renovations to Wagoner Hall will support sustainability initiatives and improve the efficiency of the serving and seating areas. Wagoner Hall is UNCW’s primary dining location, visited by 19,000 students a week. “This puts a lot of wear and tear on the building,” said Maimone. Built in 1989, it too has aging structures.

Over the last four years, the number of students on a meal plan has increased by 84 percent. “We wanted to definitely make sure that [Wagoner Hall] was capable of handling that many students,” said Maimone.

The proposal requires final approval by the Board of Governors, who will meet Feb. 10.

The University is not providing the $8.75 million but instead borrowing it in the form of special obligation bonds. Special obligation bonds guarantee the purchaser of the bond that the money will go specifically to these projects. Student Housing and Food Service, though linked, are self-supporting operations that each generate their own revenue. Each entity is responsible for repaying the debt it incurs. Both units have already put forth money of their own, and the preliminary stages of the projects—the planning and designing—are already underway, Maimone said.