By Torie Price
Staff Writer
IG: torielprice
If one had to pee during a class located in Lockman Hall, the oldest building on the Hutchinson Community College campus, during the 2024-25 school year, they would be plumb out of luck.
Many of the restrooms located in Lockman Hall have been out of commission for quite some time due to renovations, but this is not a new trend for the restrooms located in this building. Issues related to dated plumbing and toilets that refused to flush made it clear to administrators that some serious changes needed to be made – it was time to begin the fight for the right to potty.
This construction has caused discomfort for the students and staff alike who frequent Lockman.
“The biggest reason for the type of construction going on is (because) the infrastructure is so old,” said Don Rose, Director of Facilities at HutchCC.
Speaking to anyone who frequents Lockman, one will find that the construction taking place has certainly caused a ruckus.
The noise that is associated with construction is not ideal for students.
“English students took the room changes in stride,” said English professor Kelly Clasen, after being forced to move several times to escape the bangs of power tools.
These distractions will be worth it in the long run when those who frequent the historic building do not also have to deal with the issues that go along with the historic facilities. The noises aside, the facilities will be updated.
“It was common for at least one stall to be closed and, at times, two,” Clasen said about the women’s restrooms.
Restroom construction inside Lockman started in August, but the plans to gut and rebuild the restrooms have been in the works for much longer.
Beginning in the fall of 2023, this massive infrastructure renovation has certainly been an undertaking for all involved.
“The estimated number of calendar days from start to finish was 240-390 days, or approximately one year,” said Julie Blanton, HutchCC’s Vice President of Finance and Operations.
The project is scheduled to be finished in mid-June, but this is just the continuation for HutchCC’s facelift.
“This is the preliminaries,” Rose said, and it certainly sounds to be the truth, as a $2 million air conditioning project is currently underway, Davis Hall is in the early stages of renovation, and a new roof and ceiling are to be added to Smith Science Center during the summer as well.
Blanton said that “there will be no additional cost to students as a result of (the Lockman Hall renovation).” But there was no further comment regarding any of the other upcoming construction in the works.
