After being vacant for almost seven years; Hill Hall to get new use

A complete makeover is in the near future for Hill Hall, the building  located behind Eller Hall and the Fine Arts.
Hill Hall has been vacant since 2005.
"The architects have been hired, and a study has been conducted to see how we will repurpose the facility," said WSSU's Director of Design and Construction Rosalba Ledezma.
"Currently, we are moving forward with the design."
Because of North Carolina's  recent financial cutbacks, the restoration of Hill Hall is mostly dependent upon gift funding.
"Right now, we are in the private fund-raising stage," said Jeanne Sayers, executive director of Community Counseling Service Fundraising.
"The plan is to raise as much as possible during this stage."
In addition, there are plans to reach out to sponsors beyond the local realm for financial support, Sayers said.
The remodeled Hill Hall, strategically chosen to be in the heart of the campus, will hold faculty offices and serve as the Student Success Center. Other services and offices in various buildings will make a shift to Hill Hall.
"It made sense to repurpose Hill Hall for more of the academic student success function."
The central frame of the vacated academic building will remain, but there will be a reconstruction, according to Ledezma.
The renovation team hopes that the building will create a flexible and comfortable environment that will attract students, while encouraging collaborative learning and academic support.
The facilities in Hill Hall will include an open lobby, a café, classrooms, a major lecture hall, counseling offices, meeting rooms and a tutoring area.
According to project documents, construction will be complete by the end of fall semester in 2013.  
It served as the central location for instruction and labs.
However, despite partial renovations in 1980 and a roof placement in 2005, the facilities proved to be outdated and the departments were re-located to the newly built W. B. Atkinson Science Building and Coltrane Hall.
Edited by Angelik L. Edmonds