Reception to showcase President’s home
Utah State University’s first and new institutional residence is ready for its official opening reception during Homecoming Week.
The building which houses President Kermit L. Hall and his family, was also built as a venue to entertain university dignitaries and guests. The two-story institutional building is equipped with elevators, a partial basement and a parking lot.
Lack of space at the president’s residence was a problem, said John DeVilbiss, director for the university’s public relations and marketing department. The house is designed to host large groups, he said.
The plan to build an institutional residence for the university began as early as President Emert’s time, said L. Brent Hoggan, an attorney at law who is also a member of the State Board of Regents. Hoggan is one of the members of the committee who made the final decisions for the location of the building and also the approval of its plan.
“We originally determined to build the institutional building off of Old Main, and that created controversy,” Hoggan said. “There was a strong objection principally from members of the university community to putting the institutional building on the principal site we selected.”
Hoggan said the main reasons for the objection was the original site for the building was on the college hill, which was looked upon as a sacred spot. As a result, the committee had to find a new building site for the residence.
“The idea was to make it as non-controversial as possible,” Hoggan said.
The building is located on the northwest corner of the university’s 5.78 acre property, Hoggan said. The primary source of funding for the building came from the sale of the Gazier and Emert residences, he said.
“One of the goals to the new house is to have enough parking so that it won’t cause problems for the neighbors,” Hoggan said.
Hoggan said there were complaints from neighbors at the former Hall residence whenever there was a reception or function at the house because of the lack of parking space for guests on the street.
The new residence needs an elevator because it is a public building, Hoggan said.
“The law on persons of disability requires that,” he said.
“It will be an active residence,” DeVilbiss said.
“Part of it is to accommodate the president, part of it is to entertain guests,” Hoggan said.
Hoggan said the cost to build the house came close to $800,000. Some of the costs for the furnishings were donated by private donors, he said.
The new institutional residence will have its opening reception during Homecoming Week, on Saturday, Oct. 20.