The fourth floor of DuBourg Hall is about to become a lot less mysterious when it is occupied again for the first time in years. The decision to convert the fourth floor of DuBourg from storage space to a more functional environment was made when the University’s need for more room became too great to ignore.

Renovations first began over winter break, and include creating more office space and adding a new elevator shaft in the west wing to replace the current, outdated freight elevator. In addition, according to Director of Facilities Dan Goodman, what was formerly a lab will now be “opened up for meeting space and breakout rooms.”

The rooms that were used as sleeping quarters years ago will be remodeled into offices. Though renovations are expensive, this particular project is being funded by the “university general operating budget, and has nothing to do with the recent tuition increase,” said Goodman.

DuBourg Hall, named for Bishop William Louis DuBourg and built in 1888, housed Saint Louis University High School until the high school moved to its own campus in the 1920s.

It has since been Saint Louis University’s administrative building, and once the renovations finish, it will finally be utilized to its full capacity again.

Of course, rumors have persisted among students about the supposed “haunted” fourth floor-some insist that the “demonically possessed” child whose exorcism was connected to SLU stayed on the fourth floor of DuBourg while in St. Louis. No particular evidence exists to support this theory, though, and, according to Goodman, it appears the Ghostbusters won’t be necessary-“we haven’t experienced anything odd at this point.”

The renovations are set to be completed in October.