Projects in Progress

The groundbreaking ceremony for the future home of the College of Business was held on May 10. With site preparation and construction expected to begin in late June, the 90,000-square-foot structure will stand next to the Trent Lott National Center for Excellence in Economic Development and Entrepreneurship, and is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2014.

Impact: All of the parking available in Loyalty Field, has been blocked, and will not re-open. Additional parking is available in the parking garage. Other disruptions to power or water may occur, but will be coordinated or communicated accordingly.

To be built in accordance with the university’s master plan, the 950-bed residential complex will include a new student medial clinic, the Luckyday Scholarship administrative offices and a multi-purpose park. Impact: The project will be completed in two phases: demolition and construction. During the demolition phase, Vann Hall, Scott Hall and the east end of Bond Hall will be torn down. Expect loud noises in the surrounding areas, as well as an abundance of dust. When the construction phase begins, Black and Gold Ave, and its associated parking from the west end of Thad Cochran to the west end of the Foodball Field House, will be absorbed by the project. Demolition is scheduled to begin in August or September of 2012, with estimated construction completion in late Spring of 2014. There will be scheduled outages associated with the demolition and construction phases of this project. At times there may be street closures and detours, all of which will be coordinated and communicated as necessary.

With the last major renovation occurring in 1974, the restroom upgrades to the M.M. Roberts Stadium will bring long awaited improvements for football fans and other event goers. The remodel will include a complete demolition, followed by installation of new toilets, urinals, sinks, stalls, ceilings, floorings and changing tables. Each finished restroom will be ADA compliant.

Impact: The restrooms will be shut down in phases, one men’s and women’s set at a time. Upgrades to the lower west side restrooms are complete, and renovations will continue with the lower east side, proceed to upper levels, and progress until the project is complete.

Age and growth in usage are the catalyst for improvements and upgrades that will be made to the electrical infrastructure supplying power to every building on the Southern Miss campus. Beginning in June of 2012, transformers, conductors, and other infrastructure components will be subject to upgrades, and as a result, electrical outages will occur in various stages as the project progresses through 2013. Impact: Shut down of power to buildings will be coordinated and scheduled during periods when the least number of people and events are affected.

Committed to providing the maximum reduction in energy costs, the Physical Plant will upgrade and make additions to the University’s HVAC control infrastructure. Energy Reduction retrofits will include incorporation of new technologies into the 11 chiller plants and various buildings. Begun in May of 2012, the energy improvements and repairs will continue through 2013. Impact: Chiller plant shut downs, which will affect the air conditioning of designated buildings, will be scheduled primarily on weekends, holidays and periods when the least number of students, faculty and staff are affected.

With the goal of reducing utility costs on the Hattiesburg campus, the second phase of the Campus Lighting Upgrade is expected to begin during the holiday break of 2012. Phase one of the upgrades added lighting improvements to the outdoor walking areas from McLemore to Southern Hall. Phase two of the upgrade will include the replacement of outdoor lighting with new energy efficient LED fixtures, in the areas between Southern Miss Drive and Centennial Lawn. The project will also include the installation of six new code blue emergency phones. Impact: There will be limited security lighting at night while the upgrade is taking place, but extra security from UPD will be provided through the completion date, which has yet to be determined.