| Jan. 27, 2010 CONTACT: Danny Smith, associate vice president for physical facilities 806-651-2141, dksmith@wtamu.edu
Gary Barnes, vice president for business and finance, 806-651-2095, gbarnes@wtamu.edu
COPY BY: Rana McDonald, 806-651-2129, rmcdonald@wtamu.edu Construction Projects Set Stage for University's Second Century CANYON, Texas—Even though the 2010 calendar at West Texas A&M University is filled with Centennial celebrations and events, University officials are already busy planning for WTAMU’s second century with an estimated $71 million worth of construction projects that will enhance the campus and set the stage for future growth. The construction projects provide an ambitious plan for the University’s next 100 years, and tangible signs of progress soon will be evident all across the campus. Salvage efforts are already under way at both the old Fine Arts Building and Hudspeth Hall, where crews are busy removing furnishings and fixtures that can be recycled for use elsewhere. Items in the old Fine Arts Building are being salvaged for use in third-world classrooms, and fixtures, metal and other materials are being removed from Hudspeth Hall for Habitat for Humanity homes and for recycling. “We have a lot of students who are concerned about the environment,” Danny Smith, associate vice president for physical facilities, said. “With that in mind, we try do everything good, logical and cost effective to be economically green. We do everything we can to not waste and fill up landfills.” The old Fine Arts Building will come down in the next 30 to 40 days, according to Smith, and in its place will be a campus parking lot. Abatement of the building will begin once all salvageable materials are removed. The building will then be torn down, and the parking lot is set for a fall 2010 completion. Hudspeth Hall is coming down to make way for a new four-story residence hall for WTAMU underclassmen. The new facility will house up to 400 beds and will follow the concept of other halls with pods of six to 10 double occupancy rooms sharing one rest room. The estimated $32.5 million project is being designed by West East Design Group of San Antonio, and construction will be by Western Builders of Amarillo. Smith said plans are to have the new hall ready for occupancy by fall 2011. Another project that will commence this semester is the new recreational sports complex. The project will entail a complete redo of the campus from east of Jarrett Hall and north to the former site of the University’s Wind Test Center. The Office of Residential Living has been relocated to temporary quarters just east of the dining hall, and crews have already started the surface work for the complex. PBK Architects of Houston is designing the multi-field facility, and SpawGlass Construction, also of Houston, is the contractor. The complex is an estimated $21.8 million project and once completed, it will be home to the largest grouping of synthetic athletic fields in the United States. Facilities will include three intramural fields, softball and baseball diamonds, practice fields for soccer, football and the WTAMU marching band, a competitive soccer field inside of a running track, outdoor basketball courts, outdoor sand volleyball courts, outdoor tennis facilities, locker rooms, batting cages, jogging track, concessions, rest rooms and a grand lawn. Parking lots affected in the construction of the recreational sports complex include a gravel lot east of Jarrett Hall and the old marching band lot located on Russell Long Boulevard. According to Gary Barnes, vice president for business and finance, additional parking is available for students, faculty and staff in the lots between the Virgil Henson Activities Center and the Dining Hall and in a lot between Jones and Cross Halls. Students, staff and faculty can also park in the north parking area of the First United Bank Center (FUBC). A new shuttle will run from 7:45 a.m.-5:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday from the FUB to the Pedestrian Mall. Barnes said parking at the FUBC will not require a WTAMU parking permit at this time. One campus building will get a much needed update this year, too. Mary Moody Northen Hall, built in the 1970s, will move into the 21st century with updated colors, furnishings and fixtures. And Phase IV of the Virgil Henson Activities Center will begin in March. Much of the work will focus on first-floor office renovations and the building’s west entrance. The plans call for a 40-foot rock climbing wall to greet visitors entering the building, and access to workout areas will be redesigned to monitor use by members and non-members. Other projects on the table for campus improvements include creating a program of requirements for the new addition to the Jack B. Kelley Student Center, renovation of six to eight laboratories in the Agriculture and Natural Sciences Building and continued work on the old agriculture/nursing building as the future home for WTAMU’s engineering program. Renovations also are ongoing at the Palo Duro Hospital for Research, and an August completion is expected. Dr. Michael McKinney, chancellor of The Texas A&M University System, has commended WTAMU for its continued contributions to the System’s HUB Program through many of its construction projects. The Texas A&M University System is committed to promoting the participation of minority, women-owned and small businesses through the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Program, and for fiscal year 2009, WTAMU earned a 39.09 percent on performance and ranked number nine on the state’s Top 25 Agencies Spending More than $5 Million with Largest Percentage Spent with HUBs. Construction projects on campus pose some inconvenience for students, faculty and staff alike, but the renovations, new construction and improvements reflect a growing, vibrant University that is well prepared to meet the educational needs of a growing student population for years to come. —WTAMU— | 