The Mary Walker Health Center will be moving in late May to the second floor of Hewitt Union. This move is not permanent and is due to construction and renovation plans for the building. Kathryn Wolfe-Lyga, the director of Counseling Services, said, of the available “swing spaces” on campus, this makes the center centrally located for students.  

The renovation plan is set to commence in May. The proposed budget plan states the construction will continue into the spring of 2020.  

The renovation is poised to rejuvenate the old 15,200-square-foot facility. The building home to the health center is original and dates back to 1963. Few changes have been made since the initial construction.  

According to a report done in 2014 by local architectural design and engineering firm QPK Design, the only notable changes pertain to a roof replacement completed in 1994, fire alarm upgrades in 1999 and window and ventilation updates in 2004.

The report states the building is in “fair” condition.  

As of a January 2019 facilities service update, the $4 million budget is soon to be approved. The service update stated the renovation will provide the facility with modern patient care spaces, air conditioning and increased security measures.

“Overall, the building will receive updated finishes, lighting, flooring and ceilings to create a modern, student-focused and welcoming facility,” the service update said. 

The building assessment performed in 2014 from QPK Design references the lack of a proper security system. The Health Center did not have any security access systems, such as a key fob or ID card access, and there were no security cameras or notification devices installed in the building.  

“Occupants of the building identified the absence of security/access systems and noted this as a concern,” the 2014 assessment said.

No changes have been made to reflect the security concern since the document was released.  

Student and health center user Caroline Evans expressed concern regarding security in the facility.

“Honestly, the fact that they don’t have any [security] bothers me,” Evans said. “It makes you wonder how far someone could actually get inside, especially with any medications that are likely in there. Anyone could go in there, student or not.”  

Allen Bradberry, director of Major Projects, said the security concern is being taken seriously. 

“The report is accurate and the changes, in fact, are in the design,” Bradberry said.

Along with security measures, the document lists the presence of various suspect interior and exterior asbestos and hazardous-containing materials throughout the building.

A previous survey completed in 2013 from QPK Design recorded over 100 samples taken from the Mary Walker Health Center for asbestos and hazardous material testing. No conclusion was published in relation to the results of these samples.  

Bradberry said the report regarding the hazardous materials was accurate and the samples were received for testing. Bradberry said no changes have been implemented since the 2014 study to remove the hazardous material.  

The Walker Health Center will continue to provide medical and counseling services to students, staff and faculty throughout the renovation. The exact date of the Hewitt Union location switch has not yet been disclosed.

Photo by Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian