Keys Residential Complex residents will have to wait until Fall 2016 to do laundry.
On Sept. 19, Keys residents lost their area desk, wireless Internet and laundry room to a fire. The fire started in the north roof area above the laundry room and spread to the center of the Keys Residential Complex Commons.
“There is extensive smoke and fire damage to the entire complex,” wrote Sharon Blansett, the assistant to the associate vice president for student affairs, in an email. “There is also extensive water damage as a result of fighting the fire and as a result of rain and weather, since a large part of the roof was missing after the fire.”
The Internet returned Sept. 21, and temporary mailboxes were added a week later, she said. The Keys Commons, which includes the area desk, laundry room and public area space, is still closed.
The process of resolving insurance claims is still ongoing, Blansett said. After this, the Housing and Residence Education department will determine the final engineering and design plans. Springs Area Office is serving Keys residents.
Still, the inconvenience of not having laundry remains.
Cole Gabriel, a UF finance sophomore and the Keys Governing Body president, said he uses the Tolbert Area laundry rooms.
“In general, it’s become more of an inconvenience now,” the 20-year-old said. “We have gotten over that state of surprise. Now we are all trying to work together to deal with not having these facilities as close to you.”
Contact Meryl Kornfield at mkornfield@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @MerylKornfield.
