Editor’s note: Do you want answers to questions about the Golden Triangle? Each week, Dispatch reporters set out to explain or update a timely, practical issue. Email your question to [email protected].
STARKVILLE – Cranes, caution tape, and construction crews have become familiar sights across Mississippi State University’s campus, where a wave of about 10 renovation projects and infrastructure upgrades are underway.
MSU Executive Director of Campus Services Saunders Ramsey said the campuswide improvements show a continued focus on improving student life.
“The projects continue to show a focus on our students and how important they are to us, and just giving them a nice place to live and study,” Ramsey told The Dispatch on Friday. “… To me, it just shows a continued investment in our students.”
What projects are underway? When will they be finished? What’s coming next?
New projects
Two renovation projects on the first floor of Colvard Student Union were announced earlier this month and will include a new student lounge and additional office space.
The student lounge will take the place of the former Starbucks location and will include lounge-style seating and arcade video games, a salute to the game room formerly housed in the Union prior to a 2006 renovation, an MSU press release said.
Raymond Brooks, Colvard Student Union and Event Services executive director, said the designs were made with students in mind.
“This project is all about enhancing the student experience,” Brooks said in an MSU press release. “We’re creating spaces that bring people together and support the vibrant energy of Bulldog life.”
The former State Fountain Bakery office space next door will also be converted into additional office space for Event Services. The renovations total about $500,000 and are expected to be completed by Fall 2026, said Brock Turnipseed, director of marketing and communications for MSU Student Affairs.
Two pedestrian safety projects were also announced earlier this month, including a $1.7 million improvement project for Hardy Road and a $1.4 million traffic circle installation on Stone Boulevard.
Improvements to Hardy Road will include the narrowing of lanes and added pedestrian crossings to make the street safer for pedestrians, bikes and scooters. The road will still be accessible for certain vehicles like delivery and service vehicles.
The Hardy Road project is expected to be completed by May, while the traffic circle, which will be installed at the intersection of Stone Boulevard and Bost Drive, is expected to be completed in July.
Renovations to the food service area on the first floor of McArthur Hall began earlier this month. The project, led by Aramark, includes the installation of all new equipment and is expected to be completed by spring 2026, according to Ches Fedric, director for planning, design and construction administration at MSU.
Continuing projects
Phase 1 of an estimated $44 million renovation project to Dorman Hall began summer 2024 and includes new HVAC, plumbing, electrical and life safety upgrades, as well as building accessible restrooms and a new roof, Fedric said. Phase 1 is expected to be completed by summer 2026. Phase 2 will begin upon its completion and will include auditorium improvements and new interior finishes. The project is anticipated to wrap up by summer 2027.
Renovations to Howell Hall began in August and are expected to be completed in spring 2027. Since then, demolition work has been completed and utility work has begun on the $26 million project. Once completed, the building will house the Department of Art and Building Construction Science from the College of Architecture, Art and Design.
Steak and Shake vacated the Roberts Building, located on the corner of East Lee Boulevard and Herbert Street, in August ahead of a $1.6 million renovation project to turn the location into additional administrative office space. The project is expected to wrap up in spring 2026.
Construction of a new $35 million mechanical plant near Dorman Hall began in spring 2024 and is expected to be completed by spring 2026. The building will supplement the existing mechanical plant, which provides chilled and heated water for more than 47 buildings on campus, and is built for future growth on campus as well, Ramsey said.
The first of several phases in a $32 million project at the Wise Center is underway. The current phase, which began earlier this month, includes a new Equine Hospital Entrance and will allow for a Farm Animal Hospital to be added on the south side of the facility once completed.
Phase 1 of the project is expected to be completed in July, at which point construction of the animal hospital will begin. Future phases at the Wise Center also include the Nancy Fair Link Laminitis Research Center, which is anticipated to open in fall 2027.
Future projects
Ramsey said there are several repair and renovation projects planned to improve some of the older buildings on campus, though no funding has been assigned to the projects yet.
Designs have also started for a new residence hall, though Ramsey said the details on when and where the hall will be built are still up in the air. Similarly, designs for the new Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library, part of the multi-phase, 15-acre Crossroads District development project, is still underway.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 24 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 24 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
