The new South Foundation Hall opened its doors on August 28 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, mobile furniture and a written tribute from Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Directed by Kevin Corcoran, interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, the opening ceremony commemorated the eight years of work that turned South Foundation Hall from the oldest to the newest building on campus.
“South Foundation Hall is more than a building,” Corcoran said. “It’s a statement, and it’s a symbol — just as it was 65 years ago when it first opened — of the power of collaboration to create a state-of-the-art learning environment.”
With 90,000 square feet of renovated space, new lounge areas on all three floors, 47 classrooms, a wellness room and gender-neutral bathrooms populate the expanded hallways that founded OU. The inside corridors are lined by blue, red and green seating fixtures that played with roof lighting and different fabric patterns.
“The truly tangible beauty of this facility will ultimately be the excellence of the students who emerge from it and shape our nation’s future leaders,” Joe Jones, chair of the Board of Trustees, said.
First approved by the Board of Trustees in 2016, the renovation project took two years to be passed in the state legislature. State Senator Michael Webber and Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel supported the efforts to consolidate the project and were invited to speak at the event.
Costing a total of $44.2 million, the renovation was funded by a $30 million capital outlay from the state of Michigan and $14.2 million from OU reserves and bonds. By 2022, the construction management firm Frank Rewold & Sons began building the renovation planned by the architectural firm Stantec.
“This really isn’t about a building,” Greimel said. “What it’s really about is what this building will deliver in terms of enhanced instructional opportunities to students and making the faculty’s job easier in delivering that high quality of instruction.”
OU students who attended the event shared their thoughts on the new study spaces.
“The design is very refreshing and very bright, it energizes the building a lot,” Marion Brumer, a political science student, said. “Especially in the months of winter that we’re going to get, it’ll be nice to look at the snow and the leaves change.”
“This building satisfies what students look for in classrooms,” Alex Verzillo, a political science student, said. “They are spacious, they are very modern. I think South Foundation Hall satisfies all standards.”
Emily Mellits, deputy director of the Office of Community Engagement, attended the event representing Whitmer. Mellits delivered a written tribute from Whitmer’s office to commemorate the renovation project.
“Therefore, in recognition of this achievement and the positive impact it will have, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Oakland University,” Mellits said. “The reimagining of South Foundation Hall is a testament to your commitment to excellence in education and a bright future for Michigan students.”
OU President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz concluded the ceremony with a final acclaim for the community and partnerships fostered by the renovation project.
“I see our partnership as a model, a model of what great collaboration can do,” Pescovitz said. “How we can continue to work together for the benefit of our students, of our faculty, of our staff, and how we can further develop an amazing talent pipeline.”
