Catawba College News Service

Catawba College students returning to campus this fall found Stanback Residence Hall, originally built in 1927, transformed after a summer-long renovation.  College administrators said a special thank you to the contractors involved in the project during an October dinner at a local restaurant.

The renovation, overseen by Frannie Taylor of Taylor Designs, contract project manager, included structural repair, wiring and plumbing upgrades, new LED lighting, new flooring, refinished hardwood flooring, refinished sinks, showers and tubs, and fresh paint throughout the residence hall. In the lobby, new leather furniture, ceiling fans and 50-inch TVs greeted the 137 students who call Stanback “home” during the academic year. They also found ice machines on the different floors and vending machine rooms.

Junior Tabitha “Taby” Turenchalk of Sheffield Lake, Ohio, who lived in Stanback during the 2013-14 academic year and is back living there again this year, said she loves the renovations to the common area. 

“Now, it’s beautiful and the perfect place to study and be with all of your friends. Quite a few times a week, we all gather and watch shows together, and it’s like sitting in my living room at home.”

Junior Cody Hummel of Salisbury, who lives in Stanback this year, said he really appreciates the new showers and the fact that “the rooms look more spacious because of the bright paint.” He noted that the new lobby is great because it “brings everyone together.”

Contractors who were recognized for their work on the Stanback renovation project included Jeff Duncan, president/owner of JJ’s Construction of Rockwell; Richard Gould, president/owner of Richard’s Painting Company of Salisbury; Joel Lawrence, president/owner of Lawrence Electric, Inc. of Salisbury; Frank Grindle, account manager, and John Kersey, project manager, of Flooring Solutions of Charlotte; Brandon Mantooth, project manager of CCI Environmental of Salisbury; Bob Garmon, owner of Garmon Mechanical Company of Albemarle; Rodney Boger, owner of Boger Installations of Linwood; Michael Nance, owner of Nance Hardwoods of Indian Trail; Joel Ousley, owner of American Porcelain Company of Granite Quarry; and Joey Cottingham, owner of Waterworks Plumbing, Inc. of Salisbury.

Staff members from Catawba College who assisted with the renovation efforts included Bill Kluttz, David Najarian and Jeffery Hartley from Facilities, Rodney Rymer and Chad Lewis of IT; Kara Ostlund of Student Affairs; and the Office of Public Safety.

The Stanback Residence Hall renovation was made possible by a $393,000 grant from the Cannon Foundation and a substantial gift from an anonymous donor.