Minton Hall will remain closed until fall 2019 after inspections showed that further work was needed, Housing and Residence Life announced in an email this afternoon.

After closing down the residence hall and relocating more than 300 residents in November to remove mold in the building, HRL planned to move the residents back in before the spring semester.

Residents were to move in beginning Friday, but now will remain in their temporary fall housing assignments for the spring semester, according to the email. 

“While WKU expects to complete the additional work within the coming weeks, closing Minton Hall for the spring semester provides the opportunities to complete those projects to our satisfaction and to lessen the disruption for our students and their families by eliminating an additional move,” HRL stated in the email. 

During an inspection this week, WKU staff found that additional work needed to be completed before Minton would be ready to reopen, including porous tiles and windows needing replacement.

Minton residents received email updates over the break confirming the hall would reopen for the spring semester. An email sent on Jan. 7 said all ceiling tiles had been replaced with a tile that does not hold moisture, and the hall would reopen on Jan. 18.

The email announcing Minton’s continued closure stated there is limited availability to accommodate requests for roommate pairs, which will be received on a “first-come, first-served basis.”

All Minton residents will be billed at their original rate of $1,245 regardless of their spring housing assignment.

Freshman Bailey Ford said she was initially surprised to find out that Minton would not reopen this semester.

“They said it would be guaranteed that we would be able to move back in,” Ford said. “I was just kind of in shock that they waited to send the email at the last minute.”

Sophomore Sarah Starmer said she and her roommate chose to stay in Minton after living there during their freshman year because of the community atmosphere in the hall, so she was especially devastated in November when they were relocated together to Pearce-Ford Tower, which she said did not have the same feeling of community.

“Back in the fall they kept insisting everything is going to be ready,” Starmer said. “We kept on asking ‘if it’s not ready, then what?’ And they were like, ‘it’ll be ready, you’ll move in.’ Well, lo and behold.”

Engagement editor Emma Austin can be reached at 270-745-0655 and [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @emmacaustin.