Lincoln University's Curators Thursday afternoon approved spending $465,770 for the final phase of renovations to the President's House, 601 Jackson St., as well $600,129 in three roofing repair projects.
And the six board members taking part in a telephone conference call also hired a consultant to plan renovations for Martin Hall, so LU will have more student housing available when classes begin next August.
Those votes came during a 20-minute open session that followed a half-hour closed session - but no actions from the closed-door meeting were announced.
GBH Builders, of Jefferson City, won the President's House contract.
Although the main floor has been used for some special events, the building has been unoccupied since 1999, when a build-up of water and mold in the basement forced then-LU President David Henson and his family to move out.
"It's quite extensive as far as the renovations because, as you'll remember, currently 601 Jackson is basically a two-bedroom residence and we are modifying it," Facilities Director Sheila Gassner told the board, "changing a lot of walls upstairs, in order to make it a three-bedroom building.
"We are also changing the steep stairway that goes up to the attic, so the attic will also be an additional bedroom."
When completed, the "whole second floor will get new finishes - flooring, new painting, a bathroom, a new laundry room is being created up there," she said.
The building also will have split air-conditioning systems.
And the basement will become an exercise room.
When asked how the finished home will be used, LU President Kevin Rome said that hasn't been decided yet.
"Either the president will reside in it, or we'll use it for another purpose," he told the board. "The goal is, if we're going to finish it, we should go ahead and finish it completely - I don't think we'll have another opportunity to do this."
Since the Hensons moved out 16 years ago, LU has paid the president a stipend for housing expenses in another building.
If the home isn't restored as the home of the current president and family, curators said, it still could be used as a guest residence for visiting dignitaries or for special meetings and receptions.
At one point since the Hensons moved out, curators had considered selling the building, deeming it too expensive to renovate.
It was erected in 1913 by Jefferson City businessman Hugh Stephens, and acquired by Lincoln about 50 years ago.
"The funds used for this will be out of House Bill 19, which is the (state's) deferred maintenance money," which lawmakers approved last spring, Gassner said.
Lawmakers this year authorized Lincoln to get $4,039,140 from the state Board of Public Buildings Bond Proceeds Fund.
Gassner said, "We'll run out of money before we run out of projects."
The roofing repairs approved Thursday also will come from the bond money.
By a unanimous vote, the board awarded a $225,000 contract to Watkins Roofing, of Columbia, for a total roof replacement on Elliff Hall.
Lakeside Roofing, of Collinsville, Illinois, will be paid $217,593 for replacing most of the existing roofing system on Founder's Hall - except for the area under the cooling tower, which previously was replaced and still is under warranty through 2018 - and another $157,536 for replacing the roof over the seating area of the Mitchell Auditorium of the Richardson Fine Arts Center.
"We did the other sections of Richardson a few years ago," Gassner said, noting work remains under warranty until 2032.
Gassner reported the two companies will split two other projects that also were bid on Oct. 6 but came back under the $150,000 level required for the curators to approve.
The Young Hall roof will be replaced for $99,000, she said, and the LU Power Plant building will be re-roofed for $136,000.
The five roofing projects will cost a total of $835,129.
All of the new roofs will have at least a 20-year warranty, Gassner said, and the Elliff and Founder's Hall projects also have a two-year contractor's warranty.
One section of the Elliff Hall work - new asphalt shingles over the JCTV studio - will have a 40-year warranty.
The state bond money can't be used for the Martin Hall renovation project - because the state doesn't pay for residence halls - so LU eventually will have to borrow money or sell bonds to pay for that work.
No specific funding plan was announced Thursday.
But the board approved paying $172,000 to Patterhn Ives architects, of St. Louis - which includes a $165,000 fee and up to $7,000 in reimbursable costs.
Gassner reported the firm was one of nine expressing interest in the project, and was one of four interviewed by a six-member advisory committee on Sept. 23.
They gave a "Wow!" presentation, she said. "They brought in a model of Martin Hall, and they had things you could take off, showing different floor plans.
"They went the extra mile to just show their work. ... Just the model itself, and their answers, were just great."
Patterhn Ives will have 60 days to complete the architectural and engineering work for the building renovations, Gassner said, so bidding for the work can be done "over Christmas. Somewhere in early January we've got to get going," to have the now-closed residence hall back in business - and offering 130 additional beds - when classes begin next fall.