KSMU News Director Michele Skalicky: This is Engaging the Community. I'm Michele Skalicky. Large universities like Missouri State are continually dealing with construction projects as things break and need updating or replacing. Currently, MSU has some large construction projects underway, and with me today to talk about some of those is Missouri State President Doctor Biff Williams. Good morning, Doctor Williams.
Dr. Biff Williams: Good morning, and thank you for having me.
Skalicky: How many construction projects are currently underway at Missouri State?
Williams: So if you look at all the renovation projects, I think we're upwards of 40. And so if you talk to Mark Wheeler and to Matt Morris, there's a lot going on in our campus right now.
Skalicky: The largest is the addition to and renovation of Blunt Hall, formerly Temple Hall, the university's natural and applied sciences building. That's a more than $96,471,000 project. Give us an overview of what's happening there, and when will that project be finished?
Williams: So we're finishing up the the first phase, which is the new phase, the new addition. And they believe that move in will be April 2025. So we've all been watching that building grow and get better and better. They will start shortly before commencement. The research labs, they'll start populating those, but they're going to wait until after commencement to put the faculty offices. Rightfully so, because we have finals, we want to make sure that we don't stress the faculty out too much. And then we have already started on the the older edition of the building. And that should be the fall of 2026 is when we should move in completely into that building. But that first phase will move in this semester.
Skalicky: One thing I was happy to hear is that they're putting bird safe glass in that new addition.
Williams: If you walk up close, you can see the little holes in the glass so that it will save — and and my last institution, we didn't do that, and we had a lot of dead birds. So I'm glad that we had the foresight to to put that glass in.
Skalicky: What are some other large projects underway at Missouri State right now?
Williams: Well, we just swung the hammer, and I say swung a hammer because we literally did that at the Judith Reynolds Art complex. We just had approval from the board, and so we're moving forward. You should see a construction site that's going to be mobilized here shortly n the next couple of weeks, you'll the first part of that will be the demo of the Art Annex, and you'll see that coming down. That's a very old building. And and that will really help us identify that side of campus with a beautiful building that will really accentuate our opening to campus there. There's going to be new space. That will be the new space, the current art complex, all those individuals that are in there and what it accommodates it, the new art complex will accommodate all those spaces, but there will be a multi-purpose room, which is also for events and gathering spaces, and that will be really exciting. And then Craig Hall, part of this phase will be also be a Craig Hall renovation. So the first and second floors, looking at their floors, the lighting, ADA ramping, internal and external of the building, the bathroom renovations, making sure that they're accessible, sound, lighting. Also with Craig, there will be on the the west side, there'll be a state of the art. I'm trying to think of what the west side is — direct access to the stage. It's going to be a new addition, a state of the art scene shop. And so we're really excited about that. And there'll be adequate ventilation. I hear there's not adequate ventilation. So I think our faculty and our students will be really happy about that.
Skalicky: Yeah, I heard the current Art Annex was a barracks at Camp Crowder in Neosho way back during World War II, so it is old. MSU West Plains currently has a multi-million dollar project underway. The $10,530,000 project will include a new autism center facility, which will house the Ascend program. Can you tell us more about that and the students who are served by Ascend?
Williams: So we have a number of students with autism, or they're on the spectrum in some form or fashion. And West Plains had the foresight to really look at a center that would really cater to these students. And so we should be cutting the ribbon on that in April. I think they're moving in as we speak or very shortly will be moving into that. What's been nice is that it's a learning center for those that are on the spectrum, but it also is reaching out to the community. I know that there are some local businesses that are relocating there because of the services that they offer, and their employees can be served well by that building. And so it's not only just serving West Plains, it's serving their community.
Skalicky: Looking at the list of projects that MSU that you have on your website, you see things like a new roof at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts at a cost of $1.5 million and an addition and renovation at Kemper Hall for $9.6 million. Where does funding from all these needed projects come from?
Williams: So it's a variety of sources. And so we've been fortunate that the state there's been federal funds, there's been state funds, there's been fundraising. And one thing that, if you attended the the board of governors meeting when Matt Morris was giving the presentation of where all these buildings are coming from, it really has been an opportunity for Missouri State University because for every $1 that we're spending, we're getting 4 or 5. And now that's not a direct analogy, but we're getting a lot of money because of the fed and the state and and also from some of our own funds. And so some of the deans have saved up and they have contributed their funds. There's funds from my office. And so we're just cobbling those together, because when you get state funds and they want to match them, you definitely want to to move on that. So we've seen a lot of construction on our campus because of that.
Skalicky: The projects require contractors and workers of course. What impact do these ongoing projects at MSU have on the overall economy of the area?
Williams: Well, I think it supports the economy greatly. I think there's, when you talk to contractors, they're really excited about the projects that we have on our campus, but they're also excited to hear about future projects. We're going through right now in conjunction with our our strategic plan, a master campus plan. And that will also identify, you know, some of the buildings that we need to renovate. It will also identify buildings that we might be dreaming about. And so I think that the contractors here locally get really excited about that, and it boosts the economy.
Skalicky: And more information about projects that have been completed are underway and are planned can be found at design.missouristate.edu. Off topic, but the MSU Pride Band leaves this morning for Washington, D.C. to take part in the presidential inauguration parade. What do you think about MSU's music program being on the national stage?
Williams: I think it's not a shock because they're wonderful. We look at our Chorale, we look at our band, and I'm excited to go, I'm going to fly out on Saturday to to greet them there and attend an alumni event and really see them perform. I had the opportunity of watching our Pride Band in Indianapolis compete for the national championship, and it's just a wonderful thing to see that they're on the national stage. It not only brings notoriety to them, but it also brings notoriety to our institution, but our entire community.
Skalicky: And I don't know if you want me to say this, but you played clarinet in school, so you can appreciate the musicians.
Williams: Absolutely.
Skalicky: Well, thank you for talking to me today. I really appreciate it.
Williams: Thank you.
