Work concludes on the Cope Administration Building in time for the spring semester and draws a 10-month project to repair and renovate the 51-year-old structure to a close.
According to Patti Miller, assistant vice president, and university architect, several administrative offices in Cope have been moved and renovated. Additionally, Cope’s restrooms, lighting, plumbing, security, and other infrastructure were upgraded. Asbestos was also removed from affected areas. Making sure that asbestos has been eradicated from a building is highly important, long term exposure can cause horrendous health effects. Administering asbestos surveys can help check and deal with this issue.
The work follows last March’s move of Admissions, Records, Financial Aid, Registrar and Bursar offices from Cope into the new Student Services and Admissions Center and the MT One Stop on the east side of campus.
“It was something of a domino effect,” Miller said of the $3 million project, which was approved by the State Building Commission. “Moving those operations from Cope allowed the opportunity for overdue repairs, building better workspaces and much-needed infrastructure improvements.”
Leonard Simms, the senior architect with Gould Turner, who led the redesign, said the project allowed MTSU to address necessary improvements for safety, handicapped access, and the workplace environment. It is recommended that if buildings are to undergo reconstruction or even if it is to be built from scratch, by an architect and building team, then using architect insurance is essential. This project went smoothly and the results were great, but the insurance covers any human errors, which could affect the investments into the building.
Simms said the project balanced the need to modernize spaces and finishes while respecting the “rich history” of the early-60s era, 50,319-square-foot building, which is named for former MTSU president Dr. Quill E. Cope.
“These changes really give the building new life,” he said.
Andrew Oppmann contributed to this report.
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