The Mississippi University for Women has been around for 142 years, and over that timeframe, 26 of its buildings have been designated by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History as historic landmarks.
Six of these buildings sit vacant and unused by the university because of costly renovation prices and the absence of MDAH approval to demolish them.
But what if The W could tear down these buildings and start fresh with brand new dormitories and educational spaces?
Senate Bill 2594 seeks to answer that question.
Authored by District 15 Sen. Bart Williams, R-Starkville, the bill allows the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or the Mississippi Community College Board to issue demolition permits for blighted buildings on campuses that are designated as historic landmarks in conjunction with MDAH.
“We keep the (permitting) process moving, … and if there’s not clarity there, hopefully this legislation will provide that timeline and the clarity that goes with it, (and the) next steps until we get to the final processes,” Williams said. “Either all parties agree we’re going to demolish it, or all parties agree … that we’re going to preserve it, and we’ve got good reasonings for that.”
The bill passed the Senate 47-5 on Feb. 9 and now sits in the House Public Property Committee. District 16 Sen. Angela Turner-Ford, D-West Point, District 17 Sen. Chuck Younger, R-Lowndes County, and Williams all voted in favor of the bill.
The current process for seeking any construction, renovation or demolition for a historic landmark building begins with a request for a Mississippi Landmark Permit, MDAH’s website said. The MDAH Landmark Review Committee has the discretion to approve or reject the project through Mississippi’s Antiquities Law, which outlines powers given to MDAH to designate and protect Mississippi landmarks.
The bill would open that process to include IHL and MCCB, which would issue demolition permits in conjunction with MDAH. Permits would only be issued for buildings deemed economically infeasible to restore, specifically if the cost to restore is more than 50% higher than replacement costs.
The goal, Williams said, is to give all state institutions of higher learning an opportunity to improve their campuses through a smoother process.
“(The W was) part of the culmination of this legislation,” Williams said. “… Seeing some of their old buildings, … we had some that we need to discuss if we’re going to renovate them. Let’s figure out how to do it, … and if we’re not, let’s discuss what the next steps are.”
Renovate or replace?
MUW Communications Director Tyler Wheat did not comment on whether The W would consider taking advantage of the new process if the bill passes, but he said the university is “aware and following” the legislation.
While District 39 Rep. Dana McLean, R-Columbus favors historic preservation efforts, she said the bill could give The W a clearer pathway to an option it hasn’t had before.
“That’s been a topic of conversation as to whether it would be … cost effective to restore those buildings versus tearing them down,” McLean said. “… This would be a solution and an option. I mean, personally, I’m for doing all we can to preserve our historic buildings throughout Mississippi and on college campuses. But sometimes it is not feasible.”
McLean said she’d like to speak with administration of The W and Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, which is housed on MUW’s campus, before voting on the legislation if it makes it to the House floor.
Sid Salter, vice president for strategic communications and director of public affairs for MSU, said the university had no comment regarding the legislation. MSU has 32 buildings on campus that are listed on MDAH’s website as state landmarks.
District 43 Rep. Rob Roberson, R-Starkville, who is supportive of the legislation, said he believes the proposed process will help in dealing with MDAH, citing past difficulties with the board on historic landmark construction projects he’s seen as board attorney for the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors.
“I’m fully in support of getting a process that makes sense,” Roberson said. “Now I’ll be the first to tell you that I love our historic buildings, and when they’re useful, they’re able to be maintained and fixed. But unfortunately, we have a lot of these buildings that are out there that they just (have) outlived their ability to be useful, and it puts the universities in a really bad situation when it costs more to keep them up than it does to kind of start all over again.”
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