Campus Improvements Continue

Baylor’s largest construction project recently was completed when McLane Stadium hosted the first home football game of the 2014 season. But that does not mean the sounds of workers welding and hammering and the sight of cranes swinging through the skies have faded from campus life.

In fact, a number of facilities and physical improvement projects currently are underway or slated to begin in the immediate future.

“Recognizing that our physical surroundings are vital to fostering a sense of community, we energetically seek out opportunities to enhance campus facilities, as well as our beautiful campus grounds,” Baylor President and Chancellor Ken Starr said. “Time and again, those opportunities have been provided as a result of generous gifts from alumni and friends.”

One such gift was made by Baylor alumnus and physician Dr. Thomas J. Rosenbalm, who gave approximately $8 million in honor of his father and mother to fund renovations to the campus’s historic Fifth Street. Home to many cherished University traditions, such as Homecoming and Diadeloso, Fifth Street will look quite different when the project is completed. Project details are conceptual at present, but the redesign is expected to include major aesthetic and infrastructure improvements to Fifth Street, as well as the addition of a signature fountain to be named in memory of Dr. Rosenbalm’s parents, the late Clarence and Claudia Rosenbalm. The area scheduled for the improvements extends from the Bill Daniel Student Center down Fifth Street to the circular drive in front of the McMullen-Connally Faculty Center. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2015 and is scheduled for completion by fall 2015.

Student Life

In February, Baylor’s Board of Regents approved spending $16 million to refurbish North Russell Hall, part of the University’s master plan to renovate existing residence halls over the next decade. The North Russell project will include updated rooms with new furniture and fixtures; new study and social spaces; the addition of a living-learning component to the complex with a faculty-in-residence apartment; and new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.

South Russell Hall, which reopened this fall, was the first of Baylor’s traditional residence halls to receive the year-long remodel, and there are plans to renovate Martin, Penland, Collins, Alexander, Allen-Dawson and Memorial over the next decade.

In addition, the beginning of the fall semester saw the opening of the newly renamed Penland Crossroads dining hall. With 1,100 indoor and outdoor seats and vastly improved food variety, the new Penland Crossroads is now “the crown jewel of campus dining,” Director of Dining Services Brett Perlowski said. Expanding from the back of Penland all the way to Fourth Street, the facility now has an additional 24,000 square feet, making it the largest dining hall on campus.

Another enhancement to student life on campus will be coming with the construction of Elliston Chapel, a 3,000-square-foot chapel that will accommodate small group Bible study, group worship and individual reflection. Funded with a lead gift from Molli, BA ’75, and Gary Elliston of Dallas, the 100-seat chapel will be built next to Hallie Earle Hall on the East Village property at Third Street and Bagby Avenue. Construction on Elliston Chapel is expected to be completed by spring 2015.

Building on Legacies

In addition to McLane Stadium, the most prominent construction project on campus has been the $100 million, 275,000-square-foot Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation, which will house the University’s nationally ranked Hankamer School of Business.

An 18-month construction schedule began in December 2013 and is slated to be completed in time for fall 2015 classes. The facility, located at the intersection of Third Street and Bagby Avenue, was made possible through the generous philanthropy of many people, including the lead gift made by Paul Foster, BBA ’79, and his wife, Alejandra.

The Hankamer School of Business has a long record of academic excellence that administrators said will be carried forward in the new Foster Campus.

Similarly, the outstanding achievements of the Baylor track and field program will be honored and built upon with the $18.1-million Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium, which is nearing completion adjacent to McLane Stadium on the Brazos River.

The facility was named in recognition of Baylor’s longest-tenured coach, who served 42 years as Baylor’s head track and field coach before retiring in 2005 to become director of track and field. One of the nation’s most successful and prominent programs, Baylor’s track and field teams have produced nine Olympic gold medals, 36 NCAA championships and more than 600 All-America performances.

The facility is slated for completion in time for the spring 2015 season.