Construction has begun on the 9,000-square-foot structure that will serve as the new student union building on the Meridian Community College campus.

     Construction of a new student union building at Meridian Community College is ongoing on the Highway 19 North campus.

    MCC President Dr. Scott Elliott said the original student union space  – now Montgomery Hall – is more for instructional purposes than student recreation.

    “Those recreational spaces were captured for instructional purposes until such time one of the few remaining remnants of the student union building was the cafeteria on the bottom floor,” Elliott said. “As a result, the foyer of Ivy Hall has become the main interior gathering area for our students, although MCC still features a number of nice landscaped exterior spots for students to socialize.”

    As a stop-gap measure, MCC purchased a portable building adjacent to Thornton Hall to provide students an interior recreational and gathering space.

    “However, we always wanted to construct a more attractive, larger building for that purpose,” Elliott said. “So, when we finished our most recent student construction project, Weddington Hall, our Board of Trustees determined to launch a new student activities center, ‘Club Eagle,’ as our next big project.”

    The 9,000-square-foot brick building is being constructed between the rear of the Todd Library and Scaggs Field. It will feature an interior space that will house several tables for socializing, vending machines for a quick snack, big screen TVs for watching ballgames and movies, and a game area for billiards, ping pong and air hockey.

    “The building will also house an office for the MCC student life director, some computer stations, restrooms and a meeting room for student organizations,” Elliott said. “It will also feature a large porch of almost 4,000 square feet overlooking Scaggs Field – complete with large ceiling fans for warm weather and pull-down blinds for cooler weather, such that it can be used year-round by students.”

    The structure will be built, in part, by MCC students in the construction trades and industrial electricity programs.

    “Those elements of the construction that are not covered in our student curriculum will be out-sourced,” Elliott said.

     The building was designed by local architect Arjen Lagendyk, who will be working with MCC instructors Jim Miles and Chad Trash on the project

    The new student union construction is the eighth student project on campus, Elliott said.

    Other projects were:

    • MCC Foundation Chapel

    • Holladay E-Learning Center

    • Ralph E. Young Jr. Adult Basic Education Center

    • C.D. Smith Soccer Building

    • Jimmie Evans Tennis Field House

    • Smith-Williams Baseball Field House

    • Weddington Hall

    In addition to the $1.5 million structure; Elliott says more projects are in the pipeline.

    Construction on a new $7.2 million, 90-bed dormitory on land donated by local businessman Bob Malone between College Crossing Apartments and College Park Shopping Center is expected to begin during the fall term. Also, the renovation of the MCC Workforce Development Center  – being funded in large part by the Riley Foundation – should also get under way this semester.

    “It is a $6.2 million project that will give the building an entire make-over, inside and outside,” Elliott said.

     B.B. Archer of Meridian is the architect for both those projects.

    Elliott said the college still hopes to see a safe building constructed behind C.D. Smith Soccer Field sometime in the near future.

    “That’s a Lauderdale County project,” he said. “The county is working on a FEMA grant to fund the project, which would be about a 15,000-square-foot structure that would serve the campus and the county as a state-of-the-art storm shelter during hazardous weather, but could be used for college events at other times.”

    That safe building project is under the auspices of local engineer Terrell Temple, Elliott said.

    Elliott also noted that demolition of the Matty Hersee property has been completed, and at some point in the future, the college will begin planning for the utilization of that space.