CMU’s Troutman Hall to undergo $4.9M renovation

Carey, Cobb, Troutman, and Wheeler.

Collectively known as the Towers, the four residence halls on the southwest end of the Central Michigan University campus have hosted four students — and two bunk beds — per room for around the last five decades. The four towers opened at different points between 1969 and 1971.

Since their opening, the biggest change to the Towers complex was when three additional, shorter towers were built in-between the original residence halls. Construction on those towers began in 2001 and was completed in 2003.

Through all that time, the original Towers have largely remained a place where four freshmen would be roommates with two bunk beds to divvy up.

Earlier this year, one of the original Towers, Carey, was modernized, with the four-person, two-bunk bed suites becoming two-person, two full-size bed suites.

Now a second Tower, Troutman, will receive similar treatment.

The CMU Board of Trustees recently approved a $4.9 million transformation of Troutman, turning the four-person suites into two-person suites, and also outfitted with full-size beds. Hall infrastructure and many features will be modernized. Expect work to begin in Summer 2021 and to be completed in 2022.

In the same meeting, which took place on Thursday, Dec. 3, the Board voted to suspend the responsibility center management budget model for a universitywide review. According to Nick Long, CMU's vice president for finance and administrative services, the new model must be reviewed biannually with a major review occurring every five or six years.

The last time CMU had an internal review was in 2013.

"Given the numerous changes to our environment, such as declining enrollment and state funding, changing student demographics, and new opportunities for programs, it is critical that we make important and strategic adjustments for the next fiscal year," Long says.

"Therefore, this is an important step so that the university can strategically and effectively allocate resources while reviewing and proposing necessary changes to the current budget model to better further the university's strategic goals. We look forward to engaging our campus community in this effort."

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