Middle Tennessee State University officials cut the ribbon Thursday, Oct. 13, to officially open the new $40.1 million School of Concrete and Construction Management Building students just began utilizing on the west side of campus as they prepare for professional careers in a high-demand sector throughout the Midstate and beyond.
The 54,000-square-foot facility will be an integrated and experiential learning laboratory for 135 current Concrete Industry Management majors and 200 Commercial Construction Management students, and major change from their approximately 9,000 square feet of space in the Voorhies Engineering Technology building.
Among the building’s many features are a 200-seat lecture hall, four basic materials and building labs, a dedicated mechanical electrical plumbing, or MEP, classroom, a covered amphitheater, and two computer labs, including a virtual design and construction lab capable of advanced building models and construction simulations as well as an augmented virtual reality lab for immersive experiences.
Students graduating from the program average $60,000-plus in starting salary and have an almost 100% placement rate, program officials said.
‘Nation’s finest program’
University President Sidney A. McPhee calls it “the beginning of a new chapter in the success of our MTSU CIM (Concrete Industry Management) and CCM (Commercial Construction Management) programs. … With today’s dedication, we are publicly reaffirming our commitment to maintaining the nation’s finest program in Concrete and Construction Management.”
McPhee said he was “amazed at the many ways concrete was utilized in the design and construction. Students will see firsthand how the many forms of concrete can add value and creativity to a structure. The building is a true living laboratory, with examples of various construction techniques and operating systems operating in full view of students.”
Construction is a $1 trillion-plus industry that impacts every aspect of life —where we live, work, learn, shop, dine and more. School of Concrete and Construction Management Director Kelly Strong said there are 1,800 combined Concrete Industry Management (1,100) and Commercial Construction Management (600) alumni “who are leaders in our industry.”
McPhee saluted industry partners who raised $5 million in matching funding for the project and who “have been incredibly generous with their time and resources, enabling us to have an amazing facility for our students.” He also introduced numerous other MTSU supporters, including Board of Trustees members, led by Steve Smith, and state legislators.
The builder was Birmingham, Alabama-based Hoar Construction. Orcut/Winslow was the architect. Construction began in January 2021 and finished in September.
The new facility marks an expansion of the university’s Corridor of Innovation in the heart of campus, anchored by the state-of-the-art Science Building. In coming years, SCCM will have a new neighbor as the Applied Engineering Building will be built in that same area of campus.