| WEB NEWS | Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Renovated Nebraska Hall ready for residents

BY adrienne frank

Boasting a full-size refrigerator in every apartment, a fireplace in the lobby, and a lounge with a pool table and big-screen TV, the newly-renovated Nebraska Hall will open its doors to 115 mostly upperclass students this fall.

Nestled off Ward Circle, Nebraska is AU’s first apartment-style residence hall. About 10 percent of the units, which range from two- to four-bedrooms, will be co-ed.

According to Chris Moody, director of Housing and Dining Programs, the layout of each apartment differs slightly, as “that’s the nature of the beast when you’re renovating an existing building.” Although the common areas vary in size, each apartment features a living room with a couch, two chairs, and an entertainment center. (“TVs aren’t included,” laughed Moody.) Kitchens have a built-in breakfast bar with stools, an oven and stove, refrigerator, and  microwave.

Each apartment also is set up for cable and wireless Internet.

As part of the faculty in residence program, Wendell Cochran, a professor in the School of Communication, and his wife will live in a two-bedroom, terrace-level apartment.

Work began on the residence hall in spring 2006, with crews “ripping out everything inside the building that [didn’t] hold it up,” according to Jorge Abud, executive vice president of facilities. Green initiatives, such as low VOC (volatile organic compound) paint, marmoleum flooring, carpet tiles, a high efficiency water mechanism, and Energy Star appliances, were incorporated into the renovations. Initially built as a nursing home, AU purchased the building in 1983.