VCU dorm Johnson Hall at 801 W. Franklin St. (Jack Jacobs photo)
A dorm that’s been closed since late 2021 is now officially on VCU’s capital projects to-do list.
The university Board of Visitors last month added a $70 million renovation project at Johnson Hall, in addition to other new projects, to the six-year capital improvement plan for Virginia Commonwealth University.
The board updates the plan every two years. The plan serves as a roadmap for the construction of university buildings as well as upgrades to existing facilities.
The inclusion of Johnson Hall to the plan comes about a year and half after VCU closed the 12-story freshman dorm at 801 W. Franklin St. because of concerns about mold in the building.
The upcoming renovation project is intended to set the stage for the dorm to reopen. VCU spokesman Mike Porter said in an email that the university hopes students will be back in the building in time for the fall 2026 semester, but a move-in date hasn’t been officially set.
VCU intends to finance the Johnson Hall renovation with $65 million in loans and $5 million in university cash and private funds, according to university documents. VCU doesn’t plan to request money from the state for the project.
The project cost is estimated at $70 million. VCU hasn’t started to design the project, so that number could change, according to Porter.
A construction timeline for the renovation project hasn’t been determined. The university hasn’t selected an architecture firm or a general contractor for the project.
VCU plans to add amenities such as improved study and common areas, among other features, as part of the renovation. About 80 beds will be eliminated to free up space for those amenities, VCU Residential Life and Housing Director Gavin Roark said.
“(The project) is a full renovation of the building. When the building closed, we were at around a 518-bed count. A full renovation will actually bring that count down probably closer to 440 (beds),” Roark said.
The renovation project isn’t expected to substantially change the footprint of the 105,000-square-foot building, which was built in 1915.
In November 2021, VCU announced that high levels of mold spores had been detected in Johnson Hall, and shuttered the building to address the issue. As result, more than 400 students were moved out of the building, according to a university blog post from the time.
Porter said the mold issue has been resolved, and VCU has also addressed mechanical issues in the building that contributed to the problem.
Other projects recently added to the 2024-2030 capital projects plan include but aren’t limited to a $264 million School of Pharmacy project and a $100 million renovation to Oliver Hall, which houses the School of Education.
The School of Pharmacy project is expected to be a new building but VCU hasn’t determined where the facility will be located.
Already part of the plan before last month’s update are projects such as a new arts building at Broad and Belvidere streets and a new dentistry school building.
VCU also is planning a new dorm for honors students on Grace Street. In the summer of 2021, the university completed a renovation of the Broad and Belvidere Student Housing Complex, a project that came to a final cost of $8 million.
VCU dorm Johnson Hall at 801 W. Franklin St. (Jack Jacobs photo)
A dorm that’s been closed since late 2021 is now officially on VCU’s capital projects to-do list.
The university Board of Visitors last month added a $70 million renovation project at Johnson Hall, in addition to other new projects, to the six-year capital improvement plan for Virginia Commonwealth University.
The board updates the plan every two years. The plan serves as a roadmap for the construction of university buildings as well as upgrades to existing facilities.
The inclusion of Johnson Hall to the plan comes about a year and half after VCU closed the 12-story freshman dorm at 801 W. Franklin St. because of concerns about mold in the building.
The upcoming renovation project is intended to set the stage for the dorm to reopen. VCU spokesman Mike Porter said in an email that the university hopes students will be back in the building in time for the fall 2026 semester, but a move-in date hasn’t been officially set.
VCU intends to finance the Johnson Hall renovation with $65 million in loans and $5 million in university cash and private funds, according to university documents. VCU doesn’t plan to request money from the state for the project.
The project cost is estimated at $70 million. VCU hasn’t started to design the project, so that number could change, according to Porter.
A construction timeline for the renovation project hasn’t been determined. The university hasn’t selected an architecture firm or a general contractor for the project.
VCU plans to add amenities such as improved study and common areas, among other features, as part of the renovation. About 80 beds will be eliminated to free up space for those amenities, VCU Residential Life and Housing Director Gavin Roark said.
“(The project) is a full renovation of the building. When the building closed, we were at around a 518-bed count. A full renovation will actually bring that count down probably closer to 440 (beds),” Roark said.
The renovation project isn’t expected to substantially change the footprint of the 105,000-square-foot building, which was built in 1915.
In November 2021, VCU announced that high levels of mold spores had been detected in Johnson Hall, and shuttered the building to address the issue. As result, more than 400 students were moved out of the building, according to a university blog post from the time.
Porter said the mold issue has been resolved, and VCU has also addressed mechanical issues in the building that contributed to the problem.
Other projects recently added to the 2024-2030 capital projects plan include but aren’t limited to a $264 million School of Pharmacy project and a $100 million renovation to Oliver Hall, which houses the School of Education.
The School of Pharmacy project is expected to be a new building but VCU hasn’t determined where the facility will be located.
Already part of the plan before last month’s update are projects such as a new arts building at Broad and Belvidere streets and a new dentistry school building.
VCU also is planning a new dorm for honors students on Grace Street. In the summer of 2021, the university completed a renovation of the Broad and Belvidere Student Housing Complex, a project that came to a final cost of $8 million.
Glad to see this being worked on. It was outdated in the early 00s. Johnson is the first building many freshmen encounter and is important for fostering a residential student population. Having an environment conducive to learning is critical. This is a great use of VCU funds.
Here’s my question…..Has anyone determined what the price would be to replace the building rather than renovate it?
Well, I think there’s a certain question of architectural history.
Demolition requires approval of the Department of Historic Resources and the state Art and Architecture Review Board. The building is historic and the chances of getting approval for demolition from both of those bodies is highly unlikely.
A reasonable thing to consider. Yet, as others will mention, there IS a value to “Historicness” when the building has good looks, character, etc — and this one I have always thought lends character to Monroe Park and VCU needs as much character as it can get or hold onto — since it still needs to shed a bit of the “Commuter College” feel that much of the old campi of VCU and George Mason still retain. I am sure 80 million is a great investment. If you go to some very old American colleges, like Dartmouth or Rennselaer, the… Read more »
Hopefully they don’t use the same contractors who did their GRC building. It’s been plagued with problems including flooding.
I lived in Johnson Hall my freshman year at VCU, and it was a colorful experience. We didn’t have AC, and the middle-of-the-night fire drills helped me stay in shape. They called the floor I lived on “the barn” because it was a pig stye. I wouldn’t repeat the experience, but I have to admit it did make for some great memories. (It was also a great incentive to find an apartment my sophomore year.) I wonder if today’s students today miss out on that scrappy just-starting-out college experience? The facilities today are downright posh in comparison.
No AC YIKES!! I don’t know how the upper floors survived. I lived in an old dorm and while no AC was fine (we didn’t have it, but it was in Upstate NY) the central heating was such that strangely it would get uncomfortably hot in the rooms when the temps would fall below 10F or so, which would lead us to opening the windows a crack, trying to open it just wide enough to get a BIT of a draft going, but even a small crack would lead to a whistling sound coming from the door to the hallway… Read more »
So happy they’re not tearing it down. I lived in Johnson Hall in the 70s. There was no thought of air conditioning. But there were some great memories made there.