[323] The Latest Dirt On MTSU Construction

FOR RELEASE: Feb. 22, 2011
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919


THE LATEST DIRT ON MTSU CONSTRUCTION

MURFREESBORO—It’s nothing short of a marvel to watch as the Education Building and Student Union on the Middle Tennessee State University campus seem to be in daily transformation; so much so that one can almost hear the hustle-bustle of pedestrian traffic in and out of the doors of both facilities.
The Education Building (Brasfield & Gorrie), slated for completion by the middle of June of this year, is nearing completion on the exterior work. The interior walls along with the mechanical, electrical and plumbing are 90 percent finished. The interior work and AV infrastructure are in progress.
Workers are installing ductwork in the Student Union (Messer Construction), which is projected for completion in the spring of 2012. The brick is going up on the columns, fireproofing materials are being placed, and sprinkler lines are currently being installed.
The Parking Garage/Student Services (one-stop-shop) is in design. Messer Construction is construction manager and general contractor. The work will include a 980-space parking garage, a bridge connecting it to the new Student Union and an administrative space for Financial Aid, Admissions, Bursar, Campus Tours, Registrar, College Advising, Enrollment Technical Services, ID Office, and a Quick Service Desk. There will be vehicular access to MTSU Boulevard and pedestrian access to the main east/west pedestrian walkway.
The renovation of Deere and Nicks halls includes replacing the mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems, architectural improvements such as window framing and providing ADA accessibility. The work, performed by Denark Construction, should be completed this May.
Hardcastle Construction is making improvements to the Dairy Farm, including road work and shed construction. Improvements should be finished by this May.
The new fencing along MTSU Boulevard signals the extensive parking and transportation improvements carried out by Rock City Construction. A new roundabout will be constructed at the corner near Scarlett Commons along with a new entrance to campus from Greenland Drive. There will be two–lane traffic from the Recreation Center roundabout to Founders Lane, at which point traffic will have to turn right. The one-way street by Jones Hall will be widened but remain one-way traffic heading east. This project will continue through mid-December of this year.
The modernization of campus lighting and energy systems will continue through early spring of this year. New lamps for walkways and parking lots will utilize lower wattage sources. New lighting will be installed in some areas to address safety and security concerns and to provide better overall visibility. Elmore Electrical & Mechanical is doing the work. Siemans is working to provide temperature-control and energy-management capabilities for HVAC and lighting systems campuswide.
Jolly Roofing will install a new roof on the Business and Aerospace Building. Following a pre-construction meeting in February, the work is slated to be completed in early June of this year.

Completed projects include: Tucker Theatre renovation (Doster Construction), Jones Hall HVAC improvements and updates (Four Seasons), fiber optic installation for data centers and node locations (Black Box), Rutledge Hall porch reconstruction (Olympian Construction) and roof replacements on the Tom Jackson Building, Jones Hall, Ellington Human Sciences, Fairview Building, Jean Jack Flight Center and the Photography Building (Don Kennedy Roofing).

Other projects in design include:

The Media Convergence Center entails work in two locations—the Mass Communication and Fairview buildings. Bids will go out April 1 of this year, with a projected completion date of August of this year. Space will be renovated in Mass Comm to accommodate WMOT-FM and WMTS-FM radio stations, Sidelines, MTTV cable and student record label, MTSU Records. The existing space in Fairview (Greenland Drive) will be renovated to house Creative and Visual Services and related areas under the Office of Marketing and Communications.

• Learning Resources Center for the Department of Human Sciences

• Underground Electrical Update, Phase 2

• Campus Lighting Upgrade

• Todd Hall Indoor Air-Quality Upgrades

• Demolition of Woods, Felder, Gore and Clement halls, which will begin in May or June of this year.


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Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. MTSU recently unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.