Mark Twain residence hall to close at semester's end and get a facelift

by Hilary Vanater, posted Dec. 7, 2011

Mark Twain residence hall was built in 1965 and has been scheduled to undergo renovation in the spring of 2012.

“At 46-years-old this res hall could use a face lift,” said Nick Hebrank, a freshman resident of Mark Twain.

The elevators and windows will be replaced along with the central air conditioning and heating units. The bathrooms and electrical fixtures will be upgraded and the entrance of the building will be moved closer to the street.

“The exterior brick is in poor condition,” said Harriet Green-Sappington, associate director of residential life.

This will be replaced entirely with a new terra-cotta skin, waterproof ceramic clay.

Mark Twain is currently the only residential hall to have a pool, but this will soon no longer be true. Removing the pool will allow room for the addition to Mark Twain Market, as well as eliminate the cost for chemicals, labor and utilities.

“When I first moved in and saw the pool I was excited,” said freshman Carly McClelland. “Then I realized that Missouri weather only permits about three weeks of warm enough temperatures to swim. I only used the pool once.”

Mark Twain has the capacity to hold 395 residents, after the renovation this number will reduce to 372. This decrease in space is the result of added study rooms to be used by the residents.

Students currently living in Mark Twain will soon be finding a different place to call home next semester.

“Students were informed that Mark Twain would only be open one semester throughout recruitment events and Summer Welcome prior to and after arrival,” said Frankie Minor, director of residential life.

The budget for this “face lift” is $21.7 million with Campus Dining Services contributing $3.1 million. Mark Twain is scheduled to reopen August 2013. For more information about the renovation go to http://reslife.missouri.edu.

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