Rainy River Community College will host an open house at its recently renovated Rainy Hall to show the community the changes that have been made to the school’s residence hall.
“We’re very, very pleased with the outcome,” said RRCC Provost Mike Johnson. “We want to let people know it’s a nice place.”
RRCC will open Rainy Hall’s doors to the public from 3-5:30 p.m. Monday for the open house.
Over the summer, Rainy Hall underwent a $350,000 makeover, including a new roof, entry, flooring, updates to drainage, new carpet and blinds, a computer station, wireless Internet access throughout, and a recreation room complete with pool table, big screen television, flat-screen TV gaming station and brightly colored modern furniture.
Johnson said that the updates “create more of a college atmosphere” and make the building more attractive for students. In addition, he said that updates to the security on the building also make it a safer place to live.
Johnson said he hopes the updates change the public’s opinion on the dorm, which he said was generally poor before the renovation.
Rainy Hall’s renovation project was funded by an allocation of Higher Education Asset Preservation and Renewal funds within the Northeast Higher Education District.
Johnson explained that having a more modern residence hall where students feel comfortable helps in recruiting students from outside the area to come to International Falls.
The provost said that he can already see a difference among the residents, many of whom frequent activities and sporting events.
And Johnson also hints that Rainy Hall won’t just be for students in the future. He said that officials are looking into housing people coming into the community for summer conferences at RRCC, as well as a potential residence for summer “snowbirds.”
So, Johnson said, it is not just about changing students’ opinions, but about an economic development option for the college and the community.
