Ball State University is halfway through a decade of construction that is changing the face of campus.
In 2001, students saw the completion of projects such as the Art and Journalism Building, Shafer Tower and updates to Scheumann Stadium. By 2010, Park Residence Hall, the Communication and Media Building and the updates to Irving Gym are planned for completion. An academic quadrangle east of campus is also being planned.
"You'd be hard pressed to find a time with this much going on," Jim Lowe, director of engineering and operations, said.
Funding for the construction across campus comes from numerous sources depending on the building, Tom Kinghorn. vice president for business affairs and treasurer, said.
"If it's an academic building, that building is financed by the state funds. If it's a residence hall it's paid for by residence hall proceeds, room and board charges ... recreation buildings are paid for primarily by student fees," he said.
Private gifts are also a large source of funding for buildings such as Shafer Tower, the Alumni Center and the renovations of Scheumann Stadium, Kinghorn said. The McKinley Project was primarily funded with federal money.
McKinley Avenue will undergo 1 more phase of construction that will focus less on cosmetics and more on drainage, Kevin Kenyon, associate vice president of facilities planning and management, said.
Park Hall, the Communication and Media Building and the Woodworth Complex dining facility will be complete by Fall 2007.
The construction projects that will be complete in next fall will create new living and learning centers for the students.
An expansion to Irving Gym is also in the works, Kinghorn said. The addition will house a climbing wall and an outdoor pursuits program.
The recreation center will hopefully be completed by 2010, he said.
Smaller projects such as rehabilitation efforts in Teachers College, North Quad, the Applied Technology Building, DeHority Complex and the L.A. Pittenger Student Center are also in the works, Kinghorn said.
The Heat Plant and Central Chill Plant, which supplies the heat and air conditioning throughout campus, will also be completely revamped, he said.
Ball State has worked extensively to make updates like these and to renovate buildings across campus.
"Each building that we build has unique characteristics that advance learning," Kinghorn said. "Take for instance the music building. The music building here is an acoustically tuned hall that enables students to perform at their absolute best given whatever their capability is."
The Music Instruction Building houses a sophisticated electronic music production facility that most universities across the country don't have access to, Kinghorn said, which gives Ball State students an advantage.
In addition to McKinley, Kenyon said the construction of the Art and Journalism Building was very significant to the campus as well.
"The building of AJ transformed campus by combining dining and classes," he said. "It also changed the style of building on campus by using open space, high ceilings and lots of glass."
Kinghorn also said the Art and Journalism Building was an important addition to Ball State's campus.
"It's the special character that building has, the Atrium is very important," he said. "We really built the Atrium as a place where students and faculty in an out-of-class setting would develop natural interaction."
Shafer Tower and the renovation of McKinley Avenue are two closely linked projects that have transformed the appearance of Ball State's campus. Phase Two of the McKinley Project renovated the street from Bethel Avenue to the Neely Avenue and Petty Road intersection and added a welcoming entrance at Bethel Avenue.
"Now we have a campus that feels like a campus, there's a sense of arrival," Kenyon said.
Continuity of design and exterior appearance is noticeable throughout Ball State's campus. The use of brick and limestone in construction is common for campus buildings. Brick has a timeless feeling, he said.
"We try to keep a fairly consistent and conservative look throughout campus," Kenyon said.
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