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Renovating the iconic Bachelor Hall, expanding geothermal on North campus, and the construction of the new Chestnut Street Station multimodal transportation hub are major projects underway on ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University’s Oxford campus this summer. 

This work follows the recent completion of major building projects: McVey Data Science which opened in January 2024 and the Clinical Health Sciences and Wellness facility which opened in summer 2023. 

Bachelor Hall Renovation 

Construction is expected to be completed by summer 2026

Renovations began in June on Bachelor Hall, a two-year process that will consolidate space, modernize classrooms, and create an environment for interdepartmental collaboration. With 20 classrooms and 141 offices, Bachelor will expand its square footage from 112,000 to 120,418 by project’s end.

University architect Robert Bell said one of the biggest changes will be enclosing the existing courtyard into an atrium space, with a large skylight bringing natural light into the building (rendering at right).

Other new features will include a modern TV studio; the Bachelor Great Room, a 68-person multifunctional space for events and teaching; and a dedicated event space for the Humanities Center.

Read the story: Renovations reshaping Bachelor Hall as a hub for the humanities  

North Geothermal Expansion 

The project is expected to be completed by summer 2026 

The North Chiller Plant Geothermal Conversion project broke ground in June with the drilling of the first of 520 geothermal wells. This project is the next big step toward reducing carbon emissions. ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú is committed to achieving carbon neutrality on its Oxford campus by 2040.

Highlights of the North Geothermal Project:

• 520 geothermal wells, 850 feet deep, under the front lawn of Millett Hall.
• The North Chiller Plant in ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉúings Hall will be converted to support the geothermal exchange.
• This conversion will eliminate more than 5,810 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents in emissions (MTCO2e) annually. 

Read the story: “Expanding geothermal on ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s campus: North Chiller Plant conversion to geothermal project” 

Chestnut Street Multimodal Station

The transportation hub is expected to be in operation by September 2025  

Groundbreaking for , a multimodal transportation center located at 97 W. Chestnut Street, took place Jan. 19. The location is adjacent to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s Chestnut Fields parking lot. 

The $25.8 million project, led by the Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCRTA) in collaboration with ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University, has been in the planning stages for more than 10 years. BCRTA provides fare-free service to all ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú community members and Oxford residents. The new state-of-the-art facility will make it easier to travel to, from, and around Oxford car-free.

The facility will include, among other things:

• Accessible public restrooms; bike storage; community meeting space.
• Accommodations for future battery-electric or hydrogen fueling and future solar energy capture.
• Shared access and amenities for proposed Amtrak service.

Read the story: BCRTA breaks ground on Chestnut Street Multimodal Station Jan. 19 with ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú and city of Oxford