Numerous campus聽construction projects聽are ongoing or were聽recently completed.聽Here is a brief update聽on those recent and聽current projects.
Davis Science and Wiser-Patten Science
Substantial completion is planned聽by late fall for this crucial renovation聽project, costing approximately $20聽million. The new and returning聽occupants will move in late fall and聽over the holiday break before the聽spring 2017 semester. A new connector聽between the two buildings鈥攖he Strobel聽Lobby鈥攚ill create a central entrance聽for both buildings and will provide ADA聽accessibility within both buildings. The聽new connector structure is complete,聽and the exterior skin is being installed.
Wiser-Patten building construction is聽well underway with finishes beginning.聽Three-quarters of all mechanical, electrical,聽and plumbing work is complete聽in Wiser-Patten, and the new elevators聽will be installed in February. The lab聽casework starts this March. Occupants聽of the buildings will include Physics,聽Anthropology, and Forensic Science.
Davis Science Building walls are being聽renovated, and mechanical and plumbing聽work is about 50 percent complete.聽Occupants of the buildings will include聽Academic Advising, Geosciences, and聽new Mechatronics labs.
Adams Tennis Complex
Last summer, the City of Murfreesboro聽and MTSU officials unveiled the聽long-anticipated Adams Indoor Tennis聽Complex, an eight-court facility that聽greatly enhances the Blue Raider tennis聽program while increasing playing聽and tournament opportunities for聽area residents. The new $6.2 million,聽70,000-square foot complex, located聽at Old Fort Park in Murfreesboro, is聽the latest partnership between the聽city, MTSU, and the nonprofit Christy-Houston Foundation.
The complex sports eight indoor tennis聽courts, two electronic scoreboards,聽a pro shop, and a lounge area with a聽mezzanine for spectator viewing. The聽Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation聽Department operates the facility,聽allowing Blue Raider tennis practices聽and matches to take place from聽November until March while also聽providing opportunities for the city聽to host other tournaments throughout聽the year.
The new facility gives the Murfreesboro聽community鈥攊ncluding MTSU staff and聽faculty鈥攎ore opportunities to watch聽the Blue Raiders in action without聽traveling to Nashville.
Middle 乐播传媒入口 Boulevard Widening
Construction on the widening of Middle聽乐播传媒入口 Boulevard is starting this聽January following the award of the聽construction bid to Jarrett Builders Inc.,聽by the City of Murfreesboro. The project聽is designed to improve traffic flow and聽safety along the edge of campus,聽with the introduction of bike paths,聽additional signalized crossings at Lytle聽and Division, improved lighting, and聽landscaped medians and turn lanes in聽the center.
Traffic calming features are key聽components to the project to support聽pedestrian safety in the area. Pedestrian聽safety is a paramount concern of the聽project team, and pedestrians crossing聽the road are encouraged to exercise聽extreme caution.
Construction will begin on the section聽south of the culvert at Sinking Creek.聽Two-way traffic will be maintained at聽all times throughout the course of the聽project, planned for approximately 30聽months. Entrances to the campus will聽be maintained at Greenland Drive,聽Faulkinberry, and Bell Street.
The City of Murfreesboro and MTSU聽will provide periodic construction聽status updates and notifications about聽any changes to the traffic flow or聽pedestrian crossings.
Livestock Center Parking Lot
Plans are underway to pave and restripe聽the Livestock Center parking lot and聽provide improved traffic and shuttle聽bus circulation, improved lighting, and聽drainage in the area, as well as a widened聽pedestrian walk to the lot. Construction is聽expected to begin this summer.
Miller Education Center Renovation
The renovation of the Miller Education聽Center (MEC), formerly the Bell Street聽Center, is complete and is open for聽the start of spring semester. The center聽is an approximately two-minute drive聽from the edge of campus, located聽located between Greenland Drive聽and Bell Street at Highland. New聽occupants include the Jennings A.聽Jones College of Business Center for聽Executive Education, the University聽College, the Center for Counseling and聽Psychological Services, and the Center聽for Chinese Music and Culture.
The Chinese cultural center is the聽result of a $1 million grant provided by聽Hanban Confucius Institute in Beijing,聽an organization sponsored by China鈥檚聽education ministry that oversees more聽than 440 institutes in 120 countries. In聽collaboration with our sister university,聽Hangzhou, the new center will promote聽music as a vital element in education聽and understanding of Chinese people聽and culture. It will also become another聽component of our extremely successful聽international outreach, which has聽earned MTSU recognition as a leader in聽global studies.
The MEC renovation includes upgrades聽to a meeting space on the second聽floor adjacent to the central atrium.聽The meeting space will accommodate聽flexible seminars for 60 occupants,聽or approximately 145 occupants for聽special events. In addition, there are聽offices for University Police and Events聽Coordination. Site improvements聽include lighting upgrades in the garage,聽new lighting in the surface parking聽lots, and new fencing around the green聽space, now complete.