University News
Tillman Hall to be Moved Offline May 2023
June 16, 2022
MACOMB, IL – To ensure operational efficiencies, Tillman Hall on the Western Illinois University Macomb campus, will be taken offline following the end of the Spring 2023 semester.
The following departments will be moved to other facilities on the Macomb campus (locations TBA): University Photography and Design Production (PDP), Earth, Atmospheric, & Geographic Information Sciences (EAGIS), GIS Center, Geology Museum, Nursing and Law Enforcement labs and general classrooms.
According to Troy Rhoads, assistant vice president for Facilities Management, the building, which will not be razed at this point, can no longer adequately support the departments housed within due to the increasing costs necessary to keep Tillman Hall open. A 2021 estimate for deferred maintenance (which is to bring the building back to its original functionality from the initial 1955 design, with no modernization), is $11.2 million, while a complete renovation/modernization is estimated at $30 million. The annual operating cost for the building is $200,000, which does not include daily staffing.
Rhoads added that other entities have been consulted such as the Council for Campus Planning and Usage, who reviewed the building's usage level, as well as the building needs. As part of the review, the council recommended Tillman Hall as the structure that could be placed offline with the least disruption. Discussions regarding the building's future will continue at a later date, Rhoads said.
"The key critical maintenance items include the roof, ventilation and elevator. Other contributing factors are the cooling system, building envelope, restroom and ADA accessibility, technology access, electrical power and classroom aesthetics," Rhoads added. "We understand this will mean a tremendous amount of effort for those affected departments to move to other areas on campus. Facilities Management is working closely with the deans and directors of those departments to ensure that they have adequate office, classroom and facilities space to suit their needs."
The state legislature approved building Tillman Hall in April 1954, at a cost of $2.6 million. The building was dedicated Sept. 17, 1955.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing
Connect with us: