Staff Moves Into Newly Renovated Eastman Hall [VIDEO]

ST. CLOUD -- Renovations are completed and staff is moving into one of the oldest buildings on the St. Cloud State University campus.

Construction on Eastman Hall began January 2018 and opened this month as the new Center for Health and Wellness.

Director of Student Health Services Corie Beckermann says the building will provide a one stop service for student's health needs.

This space has twelve exam rooms, procedure rooms and specialty rooms as well as medical clinic and pharmacy.

Eastman Hall first opened in 1930 as a physical education, recreation and intercollegiate athletes building. Beckermann says they incorporated several historic pieces into the newly renovated space.

There is material from the locker rooms, wood from the bleachers and pool tiles incorporated throughout the building as art.

Jen Johnson is the Director for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention. She says one initiative the UChoose program is excited about adding is their peer wellness coaching.

We'll have graduate students who will be these coaches, or mentors, to work with students in area's they are needing help in and provide encouragement and know they are not alone.

SCSU received $18.5-million in state funding to help pay for the improvements to the 90-year-old building.

Designs called for adding a third floor above the old gym which is now home for the Counselling and Psychological Services. Director John Eggers says the newly created space allows them to expand their pilot program.

What we have been working on is to work with these programs to refer some of our students that are lower acuity over to students training to be therapists. So these are students wanting help and students training to give that help.

Beckermann says her department is already provide services to students and the rest of the building's departments will be moving in later this week.

An official ribbon cutting will be held in August and SCSU plans to hold a grand opening for the public during Homecoming September 25th-29th.