OXFORD, Ohio — The face of Miami University’s main campus will soon see some of its historic buildings disappear and new student recreational fields created.
Miami officials recently announced that starting early in June its Oxford campus will see demolition work begin for Wells Hall, Hanna House and Joyner House. Demolition of Williams Hall will begin by late June.
After the buildings are removed, “the area will be restored and land banked for potential future redevelopment,” said project manager Don Van Winkle, associate director of engineering in the Physical Facilities Department for Miami University.
The new green space created will include tree plantings and regrading of several sidewalks and parking areas.
The project also includes the permanent removal of the parking lot and connector drive between Nellie Craig Walker Hall and the Williams Hall/Phillips Hall parking lots.
The Hanna House, which was built in 1963, was most recently used by the Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity. The office, part of the Office of Human Resources Management, moved earlier this year to the second floor of Hoyt Hall.
Joyner House, which was a small residential property built in 1910, most recently housed IT Services administrative offices. All Technology Support Offices are now on the third floor of Hoyt Hall.
Wells Hall, a residence hall built in 1922-1923, was last used in 2019. It had some occasional use during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021 to house quarantining students.
Williams Hall, built in 1959 to house the original WMUB radio station and the Miami Communications department, which also currently houses TV and other recording facilities and the Department of Media, Journalism, and Film, will see the department moved this summer into the newly renovated Bachelor Hall, with updated production facilities for TV, podcasts, music recording and more.
Miami officials also recently announced the coming construction of new student recreational fields and sports facilities to replace the coming loss of Cook Field, which will be the site of school’s new sports arena.
School officials said they are investing about $13 million to expand and upgrade student multi-use sports fields at Millett Hall and at Chestnut Fields.
Construction has begun on both sites. The Chestnut Field site and the turfed fields at Millett will be complete before fall semester begins, said officials.
The remainder of the installation in the Millett area will be complete by the end of September, according to officials’ recent public update.
The Millett Hall area project will include: Synthetic turf multi-use intramural soccer and flag football fields; a walking path; exercise stations; dog park and a service dog park; pickleball courts; tennis and basketball courts.
Officials said new features coming to the current Chestnut Field site will include: A multi-use synthetic turf field with sports lighting that will support two full-size soccer fields; two softball fields and three flag football fields.
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