Mertz Updates

Mertz Hall recently experienced flooding due to a burst pipe. Upon notificiation, housekeeping began extracting water and an emergency call was made to our water remediation vendor, who has been managing the remediation process since. The process has included mapping out all affected areas; removing any wet drywall, insulation, and carpet tiles; and using blowers to dry out all building materials. This must be done in order to ensure that dry standards are met before restoring the spaces impacted. This process is critical to ensure a clean, dry, and healthy environment for our students to return.
Summary of Incident
The flooding initiated on the 11th floor where a couple inches of standing water was found. The water traveled through the cement floor, various utilities, electrical conduits, plumbing core holes, elevator shaft and stairways. There was minimal ceiling damage as the water traveled down through the walls of the building.
Communication
The Department of Residence Life has sent the following email communications to residents of impacted rooms:
- 02/21/2023 Communication
- 02/06/2023 Communication to students on floors 10 and 11 with information on relocation to Mertz. (not linked)
- 01/20/2023 Communication to students on floor 9 with information on reclocation to Mertz. (not linked)
- 01/18/2023 Communication to students on floors 7 and 8 with information on relocation to Mertz. (not linked)
- 01/11/2023 Communication to students with temporary assignment information. (not linked)
- 01/11/2023 Communication - Floors 3-6
- 01/08/2023 to Provost's Office regarding pipe burst. (not linked)
- 01/05/2023 Communication to impacted students with room status. (not linked)
- 01/05/2023 Communication - Floors 12-19
- 12/30/2022 Communication
- 12/25/2022 Communication
All communication will be sent directly to impacted students via their Loyola email. Families, parents, and friends of impacted students will be updated via this website.
Frequently Asked Questions
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All impacted rooms' personal belongings on floors 3-11 were packed, moved, and stored in a secure location on campus. This was completed to ensure a safe, productive work environment and to protect student items while remediation is ongoing.
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Refrigerators were emptied and moved with packed personal belongings.
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Water primarily impacted items left on the floor. An attempt was made to dry items prior to being packed. These items were packed separately.
Photos and/or videos have been taken of affected areas to help assess and record damage. Assessments are still underway and more information will be available soon. While this process is ongoing, we are unable to provide itemized reports, photos, or videos.
Your relocation space is temporary while the remediation work is completed in your permanent space.
All vacancies and emergency spaces on campus will be considered for relocation use. Whenever possible students will be temporarily assigned to a space similar to their permanent assignment and with their current roommate(s).
Priority will be given to students with accommodation recommendations on file to ensure those needs are met.
The housing rate will remain the same as your permanent space in Mertz Hall.
Due to the ongoing remediation work we are not able to accommodate early pick up.
Rooms will be completed and ready for occupancy on a rolling basis. You will receive communication via email from the department when you are able to return to your space. We expect all remediation work to be completed in Mertz by Friday, February 3.
Because students are financially responsible for personal property they bring to campus, a student’s (or their parents’) homeowner’s or renter’s insurance is the appropriate source of coverage for property losses of this type. Loyola is separately reaching out to its own property carrier for the damage sustained to the building and to other University property. As you can imagine, many individuals, families and businesses suffered property damage in connection with the sub-zero temperatures and gale-force winds that Chicagoans experienced over the holiday break.
- As soon as you have the opportunity, look over your personal belongings to see whether you have actually experienced any significant damage. If so, notify your renter’s insurance carrier, or notify your parents so they can submit a claim to their own renter’s or homeowner’s insurance company.
- Follow the guidelines that your insurance carrier provides to you, which will most likely include documenting any losses, including written descriptions, photographs and receipts.
- Any student who may have experienced significant loss or hardship may wish to contact Loyola’s CARE team at https://www.luc.edu/dos/services/coordinatedassistanceresourceeducationcare/ to see whether any additional resources may be available.
The Department of Residence Life has notified the Office of the Provost of the situation and the impact to residents of Mertz Hall floors three through eleven.
We will continue to communicate directly with impacted residents to provide updates as the remediation process continues.
If you have additional questions, please send an email to reslife@luc.edu.