Construction season is coming, and Maryville has huge plans for this summer. With over 20 projects in the works, the campus will be transformed this summer and next semester.
The projects vary in type and size.According to Tom Benning, the director of facilities management and planning, some are in academic space, administration and athletic facilities.
Some of the bigger projects include:
Saints Hall Second Phase
Late May, ground will be broken and a new addition will be added to the dorm. The construction should be completed and ready for students to move in by the Fall semester of 2018.
Donius University Center Renovation
The Center for Student Engagement will be remodeled and modernized. The space will be opened up to allow for a more collaborative environment.
Anheuser-Busch Academic Center Renovation
This is one of the most elaborate projects that will take place starting this summer. Classrooms 3245 and 3249 will be closed for the fall semester. They will be completely remodeled and modernized. The stone on the front of the building will be replaced with a window system, similar to the one in Gander Hall. The classroom will become a more active learning space. Benning said it will be “very different from anything you see on campus.” The space will be sectioned off by rolling doors. The front of the ABAC will be resurfaced to match other buildings on campus.
In addition, a new coding lab will be created from previous faculty office space. It will be one of the more high-tech projects. These projects will be started in late May and hopefully be finished by January 2018.
Some of the smaller projects include replacing the curbing that leads from Conway Road up to campus and a waterproofing project on the foundation of Gander.
The plans for the athletic center…
Simon Athletic Center is not scheduled to be renovated this summer, but it is a developing project. Last year, a new addition was opened, and Benning mentioned he is working on design work for another Simon expansion. “We’ve got some very impressive changes that we are working on,” Benning said. Nothing for the project has been finalized.
Maryville seems like a secluded property, but space is not an issue. According to Benning, the university purchased 18 acres of land next to Conway Road a few years ago. He is working on plans for a new athletic complex on the developing land.
Benning hopes to create a new soccer field, softball field, tennis courts and a new athletic building. He and his team have started to build a road that leads from the main campus down to the new patch of land. These projects are being developed due to the recent growth in athletics at Maryville.
“We still have space to accommodate our growth,” Benning said. There is land that can be developed near the McNally House and buildings have room for additions.
The plans for parking…
More convenient parking is not something that is in the building plans at Maryville. Parking around campus has been monitored and studied, and there are still spaces available for students, even though it may be difficult to find. “Some days it’s a little tighter than others,” Benning said.
Benning mentioned that he is most excited about the bigger projects the university is starting this summer. He looks forward to seeing the dynamic transformation of the two classrooms in the ABAC.
Sophomore Jamie Heet is excited to see the upcoming upgrades on campus. “I’m really excited to see the new glass front on the ABAC. I think it will really help blend the older building with the newer buildings,” Heet said.
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