DANVILLE, Va. – Work is underway to breath new life into Averett University's Main Hall.
The work is the first phase of the university's 10 year, $28 million plan to renovate all of the residence halls.
Work on Main Hall is expected to cost about $5.3 million and be finished by the time students return in the fall.
"It will be a modern-looking dorm; carpet, it'll be bright colors, Averett colors. We'll have study lounges, we will have eating spaces. We'll have places where professors can actually hold classes," Averett VP of institutional advancement Buddy Rawley said.
The university is considering building a brand new residence hall next in order to keep up with increasing enrollment.
"We've got to make a decision about a year from now," Rawley said. "We're OK for this year and we're OK for the fall of 2019, but if things go like we've been doing with retention and growth, we'll have to have something new. About 120 beds is what we're looking at."
He said the work on Main Hall was about two days ahead of schedule as of Thursday.
To see a conceptual design of what Main Hall will look like when renovations are complete, click here.