Lincoln Hall Re-Opens After 4 Years of Work

The start of the fall semester means the first classes at the University of Illinois’ Lincoln Hall since 2008.

More than $60-million in state capital and U of I funds has been spent on the restoration. Associate Dean for Administration Matthew Tomaszewski says crews will be around for a bit longer, checking on details like temperature control settings. 

He says ventilation in the 100-year old building was virtually non-existent until now, and it means engineers can describe Lincoln Hall as a ‘smart’ facility.

"In addition to simple things like occupancy sensors where the lights come on and off if you walk it and out of a room," Tomaszewski said.  "There are also settings to adjust to exterior lights, so the amount of sunlight that comes in a room, the lights will actually brighten or dim accordingly.  So you're saving energy a lot that way."

But Tomaszewski says there are a lot of visible upgrades that place on emphasis on green energy, including the use of recyclables.  

Other more obvious signs of a simple upgrade include restoring the main entry to its original appearance, and a full technology upgrade in classrooms.