Filed Under: President's Post

MTSU is an exciting place to work and study in large part because so many renovations and new buildings are underway, taking shape, or opening for use! Here are some highlights of recent and current projects.

Jeff Hendrix Stadium Club: Located between the 30-yard lines of Floyd Stadium, the new club features a climate-controlled lounge and more than 550 outdoor chair-back seats. The project, which was formally dedicated on Aug. 20, is a result of a $1 million private donation from the estate of long-time MTSU supporter Jeff Hendrix.

Learning Resource Center (LRC) Renovation: This $7.2 million renovation project in the heart of campus will provide new offices, classrooms, and labs for the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, primarily the Department of Human Sciences. The building will reopen in January 2013. (LRC 221 is scheduled to open in spring 2013.)

Parking Garages: Two parking structures (one near the Holmes Building and one near the as-yet-unbuilt Student Services Building) are under construction.

They will provide 990 parking spaces (a net gain of 887). A second-level bridge will connect the Student Services garage to and through Student

Services, over Blue Raider Drive, and into the Student Union at the ballroom level. The total cost of the garages is $23.5 million.

Student Services Building: Located next to the MTSU Student Union, this $16 million building is to be occupied in fall 2014. It will be a one-stop area for students to conduct University business (Admissions, Financial Aid, Advising, and Bursar’s Office).

Science Building: The 250,000-square-foot structure, next to Walker Library, will house 36 teaching labs; four classrooms (150-, 75-, 60-, and 50-seat); 12 research suites (physiology, organismal, molecular, synthetic, analytical); 85 offices; one research space for integrated life sciences; one research space for computation; a greenhouse; a vivarium; graduate student spaces; and informal learning spaces. The total project cost is $147 million.

Conference Center: Designed as a flexible meeting, seminar, or special event venue (with a seating capacity of 32 for a seminar, 96 for dining, and 160 for lectures), this $1 million project is scheduled for completion in fall 2013.

Widening and Improvements to Middle Tennessee Boulevard: Bike lanes, wider lanes, a landscaped median, and traffic-calming features for pedestrian safety at intersections.

Ongoing Parking and Transportation Enhancements: The new entrance and signal at Greenland Drive and Blue Raider Drive is open and fully operational. Improvements along MTSU Boulevard through the core of campus have improved shuttle bus efficiency and pedestrian safety. Sidewalks have been widened, and ADA access has been improved. The new rotary supports efficient traffic flow at the new intersection at Blue Raider Drive and Lightning Way. The next phase of construction in this area is in design and slated to start this fall. Turn lanes at Champion Way will be widened; Lightning Way will be widened to accommodate shuttle buses and bike lanes; and the addition of a new rotary at the intersection of Lightning Way and Champion Way will improve traffic flow into and out of campus.

Campus Lighting Enhancements: Phase 1, in which we retrofitted and replaced existing lights with newer-technology fixtures and converted high pressure sodium lamps to metal halide, is complete. Nighttime visibility and general campus illumination has been improved for better security. The replacement fixtures use roof-mounted optics and “dark sky” features consistent with recommended best practices in energy and environmental design and corresponding State

of Tennessee Sustainable Design Guidelines. Phase 2, still to come, will add new light fixtures to improve lighting consistency for better visibility and improved security.

Keathley University Center Renovation: This $2.3 million project will include the development of a new facility in the former Phillips Bookstore space to consolidate testing centers and also improve the Post Office space. It will accommodate Disabled Student Services testing, University Studies assessments, University College Distance Learning for online courses and correspondence exams, and Testing Services (licensure, certifications, ACT, GRE, LSAT, senior major field tests, etc.).

ADA Renovations and Elevator at Alumni Memorial Gym: This project provided full accessibility to the gym level and classes on the lower floor.

Women’s Practice Soccer Field: A new practice field at the corner of Greenland and Blue Raider Drive will replace the former field adjacent to the women’s softball field (The old field will become a parking lot.) The new field will be completed this summer and ready for play in late fall 2012.

Concrete Industry Building: This $11.2 million proposed building is in the design phase.

Student Housing: House #4 on Greek Row has been renovated and is scheduled to open in August under Housing management and will be occupied by Chi Omega. They join the Global Learning Community, which will continue to occupy House #7. Two more houses, #2 and #6, will be renovated during the 2012–2013 academic year and turned over to Housing for occupancy during 2013–2014.