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The approximately $95 million development is being spearheaded by Capstone Management of Birmingham, Ala. Though some details have fluctuated, the plan seems to have remain largely unchanged since it was crafted in the middle of last year. Herb Karlet, senior vice president for finance and administration at the school, said that they still hope to break ground this summer on the wellness center at 5th Avenue and 20th Street and have it completed before the end of next year. That timetable is dependent on finances being available and designs being completed. One design for the building is currently under review. "It's in the early stages, but it's getting a lot of support. It's very popular with the committee working with the architects," Karlet said. "The thought process is that we really want it to be a signature facility." The center, as it stands now, will contain a small swimming pool, running track, three to four gymnasiums as well as exercise rooms. Alton Irwin, executive vice president of marketing for Capstone, said he thought that their work was living up to the university's hopes for the structure. "We're finalizing the design process with the school," Irwin said. "Everything is moving forward great, and this is really going to transform that corner of the campus." The facility is a different kind of venture for the university and the state. The school and Capstone have agreed to an "off balance sheet project." As the school can't afford the expansion on its own, Capstone will own and operate the buildings until their investment has been returned, when the buildings will revert back to the school. The facility will be run by Marshall personnel, but the development firm will be paying their salaries. The other side of that project will be additional student housing. Plans call for two separate structures -- with around 780 beds between the two of them -- that would be operated like another pair of buildings on campus. "Twin Towers is a good comparison," Karlet said. "They're two separate buildings, but they're coordinated and operated together."
The housing was broken up because Karlet said that students preferred three- to five-story structures instead of taller buildings. The hope is to start residence hall construction in May or June and to have them complete in August of 2008, in time for students to move in before the fall semester begins. As that housing goes up, it will allow for older housing on campus to be closed. Karlet said that the university plans to close Hodges Hall within a year, then for it to be demolished by the summer 2008. There is no set plan yet on Laidley Hall, however. Both of those buildings were built in 1937.
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Planning
is now in the final stages and construction is scheduled to begin in
the coming months on a new expansion to Marshall University that
includes more student housing and a new health and wellness center.
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