UF students returned for summer classes to a campus littered with chain-link fences and abuzz with the sounds of demolition.
Renovations to Turlington Hall are under way: Three large lecture halls at its lowest level - L-005, L-007 and L-011 - will be completely refurbished.
The renovation includes a complete overhaul of carpets, ceilings and wall finishes, and built-in chairs and desks are being replaced, said Jay Beckenbach, project manager.
"The place is being freshened up," Beckenbach said.
The project, overseen by UF's Physical Plant Division, should be completed by July 31.
Because the lecture halls were first built in the 1970s, the renovations will include bringing the rooms up to new building codes, such as those outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The rooms' air duct systems will also be revamped, he said.
The $1.2 million set aside for the project comes from UF's Office of Academic Technology.
The overhaul will also include an upgrade of the academic technologies in the lecture halls, such as new computer projectors, he said.
Although the renovations will replace the lecture halls' interiors, the construction has also invaded much of Turlington Plaza. The staging yard, used for parking and storing building materials, has already caused a few problems.
Daniel Bishop, a linguistics junior, plays four square on the plaza every Friday. Now, he must dodge big trucks entering and leaving the premises.
"It's severely limiting our space," Bishop said.
