Winter break is approaching, and students across IU’s campus are preparing to travel. However, one thing that isn’t leaving school grounds is the construction.
Renovations to IU’s School of Public Health and Bill Garrett Fieldhouse have been ongoing since fall 2024. These changes are designed to introduce new energy-efficient electrical, plumbing and air conditioning systems, according to IU’s Capital Planning and Facilities website. This decision was made in order to combat the School of Public Health’s age of 79 and Bill Garrett Fieldhouse’s age of 97.
Construction at the School of Public Health is part of a larger project, the Wells Quad and Public Health Renovation, which includes Sycamore Hall, Morrison Hall and the Jacobs School of Music’s Music Addition. This project focuses on heating and air conditioning, electrical, plumbing, fire systems and new mortar in the bricks in all of the buildings, as stated on the capital projects website.
The first phase included the renovations at Sycamore Hall, Morrison Hall and the Jacobs School of Music’s Music Addition. However, those renovations are all complete, according to IU Associate Vice President for Capital Planning and Projects Adam Thies. The project is now in its second of two phases, Thies wrote in an email, and will be completed in August 2026.
“The second phase is on the School of Public Health,” Thies wrote. “The Bill Garrett Fieldhouse is in the same project and same complex of renovations.”
Both phases of the project are entirely state-funded, with a budget of $85.9 million, according to the capital projects website.
While students prepare and study for finals before the three-week break, capital projects have worked to avoid getting in the way of community and student life.
“All projects undergo efforts to minimize the disruption to our students, faculty and staff,” Thies wrote. “Undoubtably, construction does cause disruption, but our construction management team works to minimize those to the best of our abilities.”
Additional work is being done outside of Beech Hall along East Seventh Street. However, Thies said in an email that this is utilities work, focusing on essential services for the building, like sewage and gas, and is not a significant capital project.
