The sounds of construction have filled the air at Mississippi State University this semester, and according to the architectural planning and construction associate director, this is just the beginning of some giant steps for improving the campus.
This semester, three major projects have been under construction: the football practice facility, Lee Hall and the football stadium. Projections indicate the football practice facility will be completed in the next month, however Lee Hall and the football stadium will be ongoing projects.
Plans are also in the works for a new dining hall, tennis courts, academic building, walking track and thermal storage facility – all to most likely begin in the spring semester. In addition, there are plans to renovate Bulter Williams Guest House and the YMCA building in the near future.
Duncan McKenzie, executive associate athletic director said the projects, such as the expansion to the stadium will improve campus, for everyone using the facility.
“I think this improves the environment of the stadium. There’ll be more restrooms and concession stands and better seating than the bleachers, so I think everything is a positive move,” McKenzie said.
One project that will be started at the end of next semester will be a new classroom facility.
Tim Muzzi, MSU architectural planning and construction associate director, said this building will have between 20 and 21 classrooms..
“The bottom two floors are a parking garage and the top three floors are classrooms,” Muzzi said. “It will be open for the students to use, so that will be a very heavily-traveled facility.”
Mike Harris, director of parking services said this parking garage will be open to anyone parking on campus whether they have a parking permit or not.
“It will be a timed parking garage,” Harris said. “The first hour will be $2 and each additional hour after that will be $1 up to a $10 maximum in a 24 hour time-period.”
Drivers on campus need to know roads that will be closed for construction.
McKenzie said right now B.S. Hood Drive has become a one-way street due to construction on the stadium. The traffic will now flow north on B.S. Hood Drive from Stone Boulevard.
In addition, once the construction on the new classroom facility begins, George Perry from the cafeteria down to Barr Street will be blocked off.
Harris said drivers should also be aware there will be some spaces in the commuter northwest parking zone and the north parking zone that will be lost because of construction. However, there are plenty of spaces in each zone to accommodate the parking needs.
Muzzi said he is excited about the changes to the campus and that it will these improvements will be beneficial to all students, faculty and staff in the future.
“We have some buildings that are in desperate need of renovation, and in the same sense, we have to have new buildings like this new classroom building that may be one of the more exciting academic buildings that will have been placed on this campus in many years,” Muzzi said.

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