The oldest building on the campus of the County College of Morris is getting an $8 million makeover, requiring the administration of the Randolph-based school to move to temporary quarters for the next year.
A $4.1 million construction contract to renovate Henderson Hall was awarded last week to GPC Inc. of Millburn, and the RBA Group of Morristown was hired as the architect for the project on its bid of $493,800, college officials said.
Asbestos/contaminant abatement and refurbishing the building when construction is done in 12 to 18 months brings the total cost to about $8 million, said CPresident Edward Yaw. County taxpayers will pay half of the bill and the state will fund the rest.
"Over the next few weeks we will be moving to various points in the campus," said Yaw, whose president's office will be relocated to the second floor of the Masten Library. "It's going to be a little confusing for awhile, but the project is really worth it."
Henderson Hall - a two-story, 31,675-square-foot building - was the only structure on campus when Copened in 1968, housing classrooms, laboratories, a library, bookstore, faculty offices, cafeteria and administrative services. In recent years it has become an administrative complex, with Yaw's offices and the trustees' board room on the ground floor.
Also located in Henderson Hall are the college's accounting, academic affairs, corporate and community programs, business and finance, purchasing, human resources and college advancement and planning offices.
College officials said the renovations will allow for more efficient use of space and will help ease crowding. The renovated structure will contain administrative offices, four general-purpose classrooms and two corporate-business training rooms.
The Henderson Hall project is part of an estimated $18 million capital improvement effort scheduled over three years, with upgrades also planned for Emeriti Hall, Cohen Hall, the Agriculture Technology building, the planetarium and a host of athletic fields.
