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Build It and They Will Come
Engineering Building latest improvement planned along with possible hotel and housing projects
FIVE MINUTES WITH THE PRESIDENT
A brief conversation on recent events with MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee
The physical landscape of the MTSU campus continues to evolve and grow in positive ways. More than $1.6 billion in new construction has occurred on the MTSU campus during your 22year tenure as president. Tell us about the most recent changes and additions.
Students began using MTSU’s new $40.1 million School of Concrete and Construction Management Building on the west side of campus in October 2022, as they prepare for professional careers in a high-demand sector throughout the booming Nashville area and beyond.
I’m amazed at the many ways concrete was utilized in the design and construction. Students and visitors can see firsthand how the many forms of concrete can add value and creativity to a structure. The building is a true living laboratory, with examples of various construction techniques and operating systems in full view of students.
Along with a neighboring Applied Engineering Building, under construction after a June groundbreaking, which will serve as the home for the Engineering Technology and Mechatronics Engineering programs as well as provide space for future engineering programs, the CCM facility marks the latest expansion of MTSU’s Science Corridor of Innovation.
It was with great excitement that we announced in fall 2022 our success in securing $66 million to build a new Student-Athlete Performance Center as well as make stadium improvements.
These advancements represent the first of a three-phase, $100 million-plus plan to upgrade our athletics facilities. The three-story structure will house training, strength and conditioning, and equipment centers. The first stage of the project is expected to be completed before the start of the 2024 Blue Raider football season.
We also preserved and updated our iconic Murphy Center in 2022, a year in which the “Glass House” marked its 50th birthday. The arena is undergoing a makeover that began in 2022 with a new glass exterior.
Construction also started on our new on-campus tennis facility at the corner of Middle Tennessee Boulevard and Greenland Drive. The outdoor complex will include eight tennis courts, seating for 250 fans, new locker rooms, and new offices for coaches. Projected completion is fall 2023.
MTSU also received state funding for an Aerospace campus totaling $62.2 million, which includes $5 million in University matching funds.
What’s on the horizon as it relates to campus planning?
A proposed amendment to the MTSU 2016 Master Plan includes development of a future hotel to serve the MTSU community. The proposed hotel will provide a partnership with MTSU’s Tourism and Hospitality Management program that provides experiential-learning opportunities for students and will provide convenient lodging needed to support MTSU’s academics and athletics.
MTSU retained Brailsford and Dunlavey as a special consultant to assist with hotel program development. The consultant’s feasibility study concluded that current hotel offerings near MTSU are limited in number. It concluded that the sites can support a 65+ key hotel. It also confirmed interest for hotel development in this location by hotel developers. The proposed amendment identifies two possible hotel development sites. The University’s preferred location is on the northwest corner of the MTSU campus along Greenland Drive. A second option is directly across Middle Tennessee Boulevard from MTSU.
A future agreement between MTSU and a hotel developer would take the form of a long-term ground lease agreement. All development costs and hotel management would be the responsibility of the hotel developer/ operator.
Importantly, for me, the proposed hotel development concept aligns with the MTSU Academic Master Plan by facilitating collaborations between students and the business sector and providing experiential learning opportunities.
After unanimous approval by the MTSU Board of Trustees, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission has recommended this Master Plan Amendment. We now are working on final approval by the state and a request for proposals from potential hotel partners.
In June, the MTSU Board of Trustees approved a capital disclosures list that includes a possible public-private partnership for new student housing on the site of the current Womack Lane Apartments to meet rising on-campus housing demand. University residence halls for fall 2023 are at capacity, thanks in part to increased enrollment.
