JEP House prepares for renovations
Joint Educational Project staff, students and programs will temporarily vacate their current location in the JEP House on Friday.
In the next nine months, the house’s interior will be remodeled to increase space for the programs.
Moving · JEP’s offices have been located in the JEP House on West 34th Street since 1976. Renovations are expected to last nine months. - Chris Roman | Daily Trojan
Plans to move forward with the project are contingent upon approval from contractors.
Security and plumbing will also be upgraded and modernized. A new basement, as well as additional office space, bathrooms and central air conditioning will be added.
The JEP staff and its offices will move to The Lot, located on Downey Way, for the duration of the construction, which is expected to last less than a year, according to Tammara Anderson, executive director of JEP.
The renovations will enhance the programs JEP offers, Anderson said.
“The renovations will be great for the staff,” Anderson said. “It’s time to bring it up to date.”
After the contractor approves the project, JEP will seek permission from the administration to begin construction, according to Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences architect Jim McElwain of the American Institute of Architects.
JEP is not fully funded, and if plans are not approved, the relocation and renovations might be canceled, according to McElwain. The renovations will be partially funded by the USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and by the Office of President C. L. Max Nikias.
Each semester more than 1,200 undergraduate students volunteer to provide educational and outreach services to members of the local community. JEP seeks to expose students to the environment around campus to facilitate service-learning projects and intellectual growth. JEP has been housed at its current location on West 34th Street since 1976.
Filled with a rich history and iconic presence on campus, the JEP House’s exterior will not change, so as to preserve its historical roots and tradition.
“We have to make sure the house stays the same on the outside,” Anderson said. “We have had a long successful program with community partnerships and student involvement.”
Anderson hopes the modifications to the house will attract more participants.
“Initially [the renovations] may help with participation because people want to see and be engaged in what’s new,” Anderson said. “It will call attention to the work that we do.”
Marguerite Bowen, a junior majoring in business administration and Spanish, said a renovated JEP House would reflect the work JEP volunteers do with the community.
“It is such a great thing that will benefit a lot of great people who have done great things for others,” Bowen said.