On the move: Ivy Tech prepares to move into Moravec Hall

Ivy Tech Community College – Columbus officials expect to move into Moravec Hall later this month, despite the construction project having some delays due to material availability.

The approximately $32 million, 80,000-square-foot structure — designed by IwamotoScott Architecture of San Francisco — will soon replace the aging Poling Hall as the main campus building.

Wall finishes are being completed and workspace furniture is being installed, Chancellor Steven Combs said. The team still needs to work on the punch list and are also waiting on some hallway lighting to arrive, he said.

The biggest challenge of the project has been material delays, he said.

“Yes, it’s all going to be here and it’s going to be on time — but, for instance, we’ve had to accept furniture probably a little before we were ready for it,” he said. “Because we would hope to have a punch list done by now, but we’ve had to receive furniture, so that’s going to kind of be in our way when we do our final punch.”

Still, Combs feels that the building project has gone well, especially considering that it has largely taken place amid the pandemic. He commended those involved in the project for helping it go smoothly.

“The architects, along with Pepper Construction, they’ve always provided us with multiple options, which have allowed us to make, obviously, an educated decision, which therefore has worked out,” said Director of Instructional Sites Erica Speer. “And really, it has been creative solutions, also. We’ve had to be creative with the current situation with delays.”

Speer said that the college is still on pace to have its “move week” begin May 16, with today as the last administrative day in Poling Hall. Many staff members have already gone virtual to help with the transition.

“We were able to say, ‘As quickly as you can move your office, you can go virtual,’ ” Combs said. “… I would say there’s probably 80% of our staff virtual right now or getting close, 75-80%. But they know how to do that because they’ve been doing that for two years.”

The college’s first official day in Moravec Hall is scheduled to be May 24.

The college expects to begin demolition of Poling Hall at the end of May, said Combs. Additionally, exterior landscaping around the new building will likely take place through the summer.

He also said the college is planning special events for Aug. 22, the first day of the fall semester. Ivy Tech President Sue Ellspermann has been invited to attend along with her leadership team.

“Details are still in the works, but it’s shaping up to be a celebratory first day on campus,” said Chris Schilling, director of marketing.

However, the main event is a ribbon-cutting ceremony set for Oct. 5. Ivy Tech’s State Board of Trustees will also be in Columbus for a two-day meeting session at that time.

“That is also going to coincide with our ribbon-cutting for not just the building, but also the CLC (Columbus Learning Center) main floor renovations,” said Combs.

At present, Ivy Tech doesn’t have any special events for the building planned before August, he said. The current priority is moving in.

There will be a limited number of classes taking place in the new building over the summer. However, courses that don’t require specialized labs will take place in the Columbus Learning Center, Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence, or the Ag and Industrial Tech Center.

Tours for Moravec Hall may be scheduled, Combs said.

“Once we’re open or at least comfortable, we’ll have some more additional community tours beyond the Oct. 5 event, and maybe even before that,” he said.

Additionally, he noted that the school has already received requests from individuals who are interested in holding events at Moravec Hall — such as artist hoping to display his work in the building and a local author who would like to work with students who are interested in creative writing.

“The building is really just bringing people to us that we’ve never connected with before, and I think that is what’s really exciting,” said Combs. “That’s what the building should do; it should bring attention to what Ivy Tech does — our mission, our students and what we can do for the community.”