UC celebrates grand reopening of Calhoun Hall
Celebrating the renovated residence hall with speeches, confetti and great expectations
UC students, faculty and staff celebrated the reopening of Calhoun Hall Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the completion of an $80 million renovation project.
The event attracted hundreds of spectators along with coverage from Cincinnati media including Fox 19, WVXU, Spectrum News, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati Business Courier, WLWT and WCPO. UC President Neville Pinto, UC Student Body President Isaac Smitherman and Carol Metzger, UC vice president of finance, offered remarks during a brief ceremony.
Calhoun Hall, UC’s largest residence hall, first opened in 1967. It has undergone an 18-month renovation in order to meet the needs of today’s students.
Photo by Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Communications.
“Our residence halls pay a critical role in providing the immersive and positive campus experiences we seek for our students,” Pinto told an audience of spectators. “They have a profound impact on their engagement and retention. Our built environment — where we play, work and live — influences our feelings of belonging to the larger community. And a strong sense of belonging is essential for student success.”
Pinto says Calhoun has been transformed into a “comfortable and attractive living option that invites collaboration and community connection.” Calhoun Hall has 372 residential rooms on 13 residential floors and will provide housing to about 800 students scheduled to move into the structure this semester.
The redesign and renovation have resulted in a building of natural light in rooms, hallways and community and collaboration spaces designed to foster social and academic success for students.
“Calhoun Hall and all its features and modern amenities will contribute to UC’s continuing momentum as an in-demand campus,” said Carol Metzger, UC’s vice president of finance during the ceremony. “And, just as importantly, Calhoun Hall represents where that demand will be met and where it will be fulfilled given that Calhoun Hall and other core campus housing will be prioritized for our incoming, first-year students.”
Calhoun’s "twin" to the west, Siddall Hall, is now undergoing renovation that will be complete in summer 2024. Siddall Hall first opened in 1964.
Read more about Calhoun Hall's renovation.
Featured image at top: L to R: UC Board of Trustee Chair Phil Collins, UC President Neville Pinto, UC Student Body President Isaac Smitherman and UC Vice President of Finance Carol Metzger. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
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