The Buildings of Sam Houston State University

November 2015 Regents Report

2015-11-14T07:03:00.001-06:00

Today@Sam has their report on the quarterly meeting of the Texas State University System Board of Regents:

Approve design development documents for the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum renovation project.

Change the name of the Industrial Technology Building to the Harry L. Westmoreland Engineering Technology Laboratory, as outlined in the Fredrick L. Pirkle Facility Naming Agreement.

The planning and construction executive summary also provides the following news:

A. Project Planning & Programming

1. North Residential District and Parking Structure
Programming began on the Phase 2 of the North Residential District for the additional beds needed per the Master Plan Update 2012. It will include another residence hall on the north side for 600 beds with both single and shared units. The 500 car parking structure project has been relocated to the center of campus immediately west of the Bernard Johnson Coliseum to accommodate more pressing parking requirements and will be removed from this project’s scope.

2. Thomason Building Re-Purpose
The existing occupants will be moving to the new Fred Pirkle Engineering Technology Center currently scheduled to open spring 2017. The programming reconfigures the interior spaces to support conversion from academic to administrative space, as well as renovations to bring this 1952 building up to current building, life-safety and accessibility requirements and to address aging building systems.

3. CMIT/LEMIT/PRC Facility & Infrastructure
Correction Management Institute of Texas (CMIT) and Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) are expanding their services to the law enforcement community throughout the state and nation. These activities are located in the George J. Beto Criminal Justice Center (Beto CJC) where Sam Houston State University's Criminal Justice (CJ) academic program is housed. By relocating the non-academic programs off campus, SHSU's Criminal Justice College will be able to expand as anticipated. The Police Research Center (PRC) has been a long-term endeavor to develop a comprehensive police information management system, the Criminal Research, Information Management, and Evaluation System (CRIMES), which also be located in the new facility. Programming was approved in November 2013. The project will be located north of main campus on 78 acres which were transferred by Texas Department Criminal Justice to TSUS for the use of Sam Houston State University in the 83rd Legislative Session. This parcel has been master planned with
this project being part of the first phase.

4. Gibbs Ranch Equine Arena
The project was previously included in the FY2014-2019 CIP as Gibbs Ranch Ag Arena. Due to the specialized need for program specific functionality the project was separated from the existing Capital Improvements Program project. The new facility will support the academic growth in equestrian and animal sciences, as the Department of Agricultural and Industrial Sciences continues to set enrollment records. Equine Science is one of the more rapidly growing areas and currently serves as an optional minor for students. Programming was approved in June 2014 and this project is part of the Capital Campaign for funding.

5) Gibbs Ranch Plant Science Field Lab
The project is envisioned as a replacement facility for the existing Horticulture operations currently at the I-45 Ag Complex, and provides opportunity for growth of departmental capabilities to better serve students. It consolidates greenhouses, shared classroom/research lab space, and a series of gardens and exterior amenities totaling 8,500 gross square feet and 7,500 square feet respectively. The architectural program was approved in April 2012 and the project is awaiting funding.

6. I-45 Recreational Complex
This project originally combined athletics and recreational sports into the existing Agriculture campus and Holleman field areas; however, budget estimates did not align with University projected budgets. Therefore, the programming restarted with only the recreational components included and the project is being reprogrammed in phases. Programming was approved in August 2013 and is being used to support the Capital Campaign. The project is on hold pending funding.

7. Lowman Student Center Expansion
Programming began on June 22, 2012 to expand and selectively renovate the Lowman Student Center to expand the services and activities that support student life. The expansion is planned to be located on the Smith-Kirkley Hall site. The October 2012 student referendum vote was successful for this project. Programming is complete and was approved in January 2013. The Feasibility study is complete and approved. Solicitations for design and contractor will be submitted November, 2015.

8. The Woodlands Center Level 4 Nursing Build out, Phase 2
Construction of Phase 1 (Simulation Lab, Skills Lab, home health learning and office suite) was complete in December 2014. Phase 2 will include a second Skills Lab and office space, and is pending additional funding.

B. Design/Construction Document Phase

9. Bernard Johnson Coliseum Renovation
Extensive mechanical, electrical, plumbing renovation is needed as the original systems are still in place. Locker room and restroom improvements along with replacement and addition of retractable seats and life safety compliance concerns are being addressed through this project scope. Design Development documents are on the November Board of Regents agenda for approval. Completion: November 2016.

10. Biology Laboratory Building
The building will be funded by a Tuition Revenue Bond, and is proposed to include biology laboratories, with instructional, research and administrative areas for Biology. The building is proposed to contain approximately 83,000 gross square feet. Design is currently underway. Est. Completion: 2018.

C. Construction Phase

11. South Dining
This 29,000 gross square foot food service/dining facility is located adjacent to the existing South Paw dining as an enhancement to support the south food service capacity. The existing bakery and food service offices will be moved from the Belvin basement to the new facility. The expansion is located over an existing parking lot. Board approval of the project was granted at a Called Meeting on April 6, 2015. Notice to Proceed for construction was issued July 1, 2015. Demolition of the existing Art G Building and construction are underway. Completion: August 2016

12. South Residence Complex
The project includes construction of a Living & Learning Community including 700 bed residence halls of approximately 233,000 gross square feet each. Large open green spaces and pedestrian walkways will provide ample access in both directions. The project will include a chiller plant and associated infrastructure to support the residence halls. The project is intended to create the south residential district of the Sam Houston campus. Design Development Documents were approved by the Board of Regents in November 2014. An “early release” design package was solicited in December. The initial Guaranteed Maximum Price proposal was rejected as too costly, and the contract with the initial Construction Manager-at-Risk was terminated. SpawGlass was selected as the new Construction-Manager-at-Risk. A Notice to Proceed for Construction was issued on July 6, 2015. Construction is underway with 30% of the foundations complete. Est. Completion: August 2017.

13. Fred Pirkle Engineering Technology Center
This 53,000 gross square foot facility provides an emphasis on specialized instructional capabilities for a mix of engineering technology labs (e.g., prototype production/innovation, electrical, environmental design / sustainability, “solar” outdoor
terrace) and agricultural science instruction labs (e.g., wildlife/physiology, animal science research). Distributed gathering spaces with exhibits from the works of Fred Pirkle and a showcasing of the technologies being taught in the facility will be interwoven throughout the facility. Design Development Documents were approved at the February 2015 Board of Regents Meeting. The Groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 12, 2015 and a Notice to Proceed for Construction was issued on June 15, 2015. Construction is underway with the first floor slab on grade and perimeter foundation walls being complete. Est. Completion: November 2016.

14. South District Parking & Related Infrastructure
This project includes construction of 421 parking spaces, concrete surface sidewalks, the 22nd Street extension between Avenue J and Avenue I, and underground storm water detention facilities. It will be located on the site of the recently purchased Richmond Apartments and adjacent parking lots. Design Development documents were approved by the Chancellor pursuant to authority delegated by the Board of Regents in May 2014. A Notice to Proceed for construction was issued in October 2014. The project is 100% complete, except for completion of minor punchlist items, and the parking lot is in use. Est. Completion: Summer 2015.

15. Student Health and Counseling Center
The new 29,000 square foot center houses both the University’s physical health and mental health services. The project is located next to Old Main Market where former King Hall was situated. The Design Development package and project cost were approved at the August 2013 Board of Regents meeting. Construction began on October 14, 2013 with an interior substantial completion issued August 22, 2014. The Physical Health Clinic has reported an increase of 49% and Counseling reported an 8% increase in student use. Close-out is in process. Ext. Completion: August 2014.

16. Sciences Annex (formerly known as Sycamore Vivarium)
Design kick-off started on September 29, 2013 for the Vivarium project, which includes four animal holding rooms, housing primarily for rodents, and associated support areas, including a Procedure Room located at the recently purchased property at 1614 Sycamore Avenue. The project will allow the University to relocate this operation into a suitable facility. Construction began on June 9, 2014. Substantial Completion was accomplished on December 12, 2014. Project close-out is in process. Completion: December 2014.

Psychological Services Center To Host Open House At Newest Location

2015-10-09T06:51:00.000-05:00

Today@Sam details the third open house the Psychological Services Center has hosted, albeit the first at its new location:

...because of the need for a larger venue, this fall, the Psychological Services Center (PSC) moved to its third on-campus location since 1999.

The center will host an open house on Oct. 16 from 4-6 p.m. at its new location at 1528 Ave. J, formerly the SHSU Student Health Center, to familiarize the community with its services. Refreshments will be served.

The PSC provides therapy and assessment to families and individuals, and offers these services via a sliding scale that keeps costs low.

Bearkats Going Back To Their Roots At Holleman Field

2015-10-01T09:51:00.000-05:00

Holleman Field, home to Bearkat baseball from 1948 to 2005, is serving as temporary practice field for the Kats, reports the Huntsville Item (Sep. 30):

With the installation of its 183,040-square foot AstroTurf playing surface underway at Don Sanders Stadium, the Sam Houston State baseball team headed back to its roots and is finishing out the remaining three weeks of fall practice at Holleman Field, the squad’s home from 1948-2005.

“We had to get out there and give it a little extreme home makeover,” Bearkats second-year head coach Matt Deggs said. “We spent a four- or five-hour time frame with 38 players and five coaches and were able to get it fixed up in a relatively short period of time.

According to Deggs, the squad filled around 30 holes with sand in the outfield on top of other minor repairs and maintenance. The infield, which has offered a variety of hops, has not stifled a unit that has shown tremendous growth through four full weeks of fall practice.

While the squad has embraced the grittiness and history of Holleman, players and coaches watch anxiously from the baseball offices as heavy machinery strips the current grass surface and readies for the latest upgrade in what has become known as one of the area’s finest facilities.

Don Sanders Stadium Getting Major Facelift

2015-09-30T07:18:00.000-05:00

The Huntsville Item (Sep. 27) reports on the the all-Astro Turf face lift over at Sanders Stadium.

Work has begun on installing an all-AstroTurf playing surface at Don Sanders Stadium and is expected to be finished before the end of December, just in time for the Bearkats’ first practice in January. The outfield, infield and even the pitcher’s mound will all have turf surfaces.

The new playing surface has been made possible thanks to donors who wish to remain anonymous on a project worth $1.4 Million.

Last season, rain affected nine of the 14 weekends of the regular season, resulting in doubleheaders having to be played because of soggy conditions. With AstroTurf being installed, lightning will be the only weather-related reason for delays or cancellations of games.

In preparation for work being done at Don Sanders Stadium, the Bearkats started fall practice early to get as much time at their home stadium as they can.

“We started on the first available date that you could start, which was September 1st,” [Sam Houston State baseball head coach Matt ] Deggs said. “We’re actually winding down our fourth week of practice already. We were able to have three and a half weeks out here. We were able to get out here some. We have a bunch of new guys, so that was important. “Now, we hit here, then we go over to Holleman (Field). We’ve spent afternoons fixing it up and getting it ready. We love it out there. It gives us a chance to get back to our roots of Sam Houston State baseball.

“Without any unforeseen hiccups, it’s a 60-day process to build a base and a couple of weeks to lay down the turf. We have a target date of being able to get out (to Don Sanders Stadium) for our first practice in January.”

SHSU Reaches Historic Enrollment (20K!)

2015-09-29T09:23:00.000-05:00

Congratulations are in order as Today@Sam discusses the historic 20,000 students that have arrived at SHSU:

Preliminary figures released by Sam Houston State University on Monday indicate that Fall 2015 enrollment passed the 20,000 mark for the first time in the school’s 136-year history.

The total preliminary enrollment for SHSU is 20,181, which is almost 3 percent more than last year’s figure.

The College of Business Administration remained the largest college at SHSU, with approximately 18 percent of the university’s total enrollment. The College of Criminal Justice followed closely, with 17 percent.

More than half of the currently enrolled students—53 percent—self-reported their official race as white, with 20 percent reporting as Hispanic and 18 percent as African American.

Continuing students make up 67 percent of enrollment, with 13 percent designated as first-time freshmen and 13 percent as first-time transfer students.

SHSU Purchases Sunrise Apartment Complex For Future Parking Lot

2015-09-25T12:34:00.000-05:00

The Huntsville Item (Sep. 23) discusses the future of the Sunrise Apartments, located north of campus from the University Hotel:

The Sunrise Apartments once served as the home to more than 20 families, some who have lived at the beige colored apartment complex for a better part of a decade. However, the building now stands empty and desolate as it waits for the day to be torn down and the space converted into a parking lot by Sam Houston State University.

What should’ve been a smooth and painless operation between the apartment complex’s former owner Geary Ashby and SHSU, has become a growing headache for the residents — many of whom have already vacated the property, with the exception of six who still live in the building.

Former resident Glorea Cofield moved into the apartment complex in April and just recently moved out of at the beginning of September. She says residents received a letter from Ashby on Aug. 21, notifying residents they had until the end of September to move out. Residents then received another letter on Aug. 31, this time from SHSU, stating the university were taking over as the new owners of the complex, effective Sept. 1, and that residents had until Oct. 31 to move out.

(SHSU vice president of Finance and Operations Carlos) Hernandez said that no timeline has been set for the demolition of the complex or when construction will start on the parking lot, but that they are hoping to finish it by fall 2016.

Bearkats Bunking at Gateway With All Dorms Full

2015-09-21T06:48:00.000-05:00

Since all the other dorms at SHSU are full, and what with the explosive student enrollment, the Huntsville Item (Sep. 20) reports that about 60 students are being housed at Gateway Inn behind Dairy Queen out along I-45 for the rest of the fall semester:

The Gateway Inn was leased for the fall semester by SHSU to accommodate first-year students who got to campus and had no room in overbooked dormitories this fall. Every SHSU dorm is occupied this semester.

“We are at 104 percent capacity,” said Dana Grant, SHSU director for Residence Life Business Operations.

“As of September 1st, I had about 150 people that were in an overbooked situation. They’re tripled in some of the larger rooms on campus and then at Gateway Inn. I also have students staying with resident advisers. I anticipate all students to stay there for the rest of the semester,” Grant added.

SHSU exceeded its on-campus student housing capabilities of 3,300 this semester due to late submission of housing applications by first-year students. Freshman students who graduated high school in 2015 are required to stay in dorms for the first academic school year.

University Hotel general manager A.K. Khan said the hotel accommodated the overflow of students for the first week.

Gateway Inn was refurbished prior to housing the SHSU students.

“We anticipated 80 students (to be housed there), but some didn’t show up," Grant said. "Right now there are about 60 students there.”

The students who are staying at Gateway Inn have the place to themselves. Because SHSU is leasing the hotel, no outsiders can book a room there.

“No pedestrians are staying there,” SHSU student relations clerk Tony Nick said.

Psychology major Gyovan De La Cruz takes the shuttle bus to school. The shuttle bus is provided by SHSU and operates every day of the week.

Pedestrians???

SHSU To Close University Park Campus

2015-09-20T13:05:00.000-05:00

Today@Sam reports on the closure of the Sam Houston State University - University Park campus:

Sam Houston State University will be closing its University Park campus off SH 249 in Northwest Houston effective January 2016, consolidating all community-based operations at SHSU-The Woodlands Center.

Sam Houston State has been offering access to an affordable, high-quality college education in The Woodlands since 1998 and in the Northwest Houston area since 2011. A long-standing relationship with the Lone Star College System led to the construction of a dedicated SHSU facility on seven acres adjacent to LSC’s University Center in 2012.

New and old SHSU FAMC students settle into new “Creative Community”

2015-09-04T13:10:00.000-05:00

The Houstonian (Sep. 2) discusses the recent changes to Belvin-Buchanan Hall and the new “Creative Community” one finds there:

The Creative Community is a space that has been built in the lower level of the Belvin-Buchanan Hall, designed specifically and exclusively for students majoring in Fine Arts and Mass Communications (FAMC) who have chosen to reside in the Belvin dorm for the 2015-2016 school year.

This was designed to be a space where FAMC students can utilize state of the art facilities to work on assignments for their various classes as well as to practice and work on personal and creative projects.

Many FAMC students have moved into the Belvin-Buchanan dorm this semester. Some of them returning upper classmen and many new freshmen.

The brand new space includes different facilities and equipment for students to use at their disposal. Inside the space there is a dance rehearsal hall, a handful of music isolation rooms, a recording studio and a small theater complete with a stage space and a projector screen.

Students are impressed and excited about the ease of access to the Creative Community. The facility is open to residents 24 hours a day which gives them a place to work and rehearse without having to travel to the different areas on campus.

August 2015 Regents Report

2015-08-28T19:46:00.002-05:00

Today@Sam has their report on the quarterly meeting of the Texas State University System Board of Regents:

The board authorized the purchase of a property located at 815 15th St. for $705,000. The existing structure located on the property will be razed and the land will be utilized for additional campus parking.

Regents also authorized the purchase of a property (the Sam South Branch of Community Service Credit Union) located at 2432 Sam Houston Ave. for $950,000. SHSU has no immediate plans for the property and will hold it in its current condition until an appropriate, long-term use is identified and funding is available.

The board approved the extension of the lease for Raven Nest Golf Club for an additional five years, from Aug. 1, 2015, to Aug. 31, 2020. The course supports the Professional Golf Management Program, which is the only one in Texas and is required, in order to maintain PGA accreditation, to have access to a golf course for teaching and training purposes.

Counseling Center Receives ‘Top 100’ Recognition For Artwork

2015-08-22T07:08:00.000-05:00

News today from Today@Sam about the "Emerald Castle” in the Powell Health and Counseling Center being recognized as a “Top 100” artwork by CODAworx:

The CODA awards recognize the best work demonstrating successful integration of commissioned art into interior, architectural and public spaces. Entries are evaluated on the integration of artwork into the project and the strength of the collaborative process among commissioners, designers and fabricators of the work.

“The cascade evokes falling leaves gently blowing in the breeze,” said Debbie Goldgar, art consultant with Art+Artisans. “The piece was designed to create a soothing, calming effect for students entering the facility.”

Prior to the opening of the center, the committee in charge of choosing art for the building teamed up with Art+Artisans Consulting of Austin to find a suspended artwork for the lobby.

Because the center serves a wide variety of physical and mental health needs for a large student body, the committee was looking for a piece that would provide a calming and aesthetic presence that alluded to nature, according to the website.

Explore SHSU With The 'heART of Huntsville'

2015-08-08T07:08:00.000-05:00

The Huntsville Item (Aug. 6) reports that a four-part series is in the works to explore and discuss the art and architecture of the SHSU campus.

On the east side of the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center (GPAC), for example, visitors can find Jason Lawrence’s “Firedance,” a tangled burst of red, rust, and orange hand-blown glass greeting the morning sunlight. On the exterior of the GPAC’s southwest side, Tim Prentice’s kinetic sculpture reflects the setting sun at dusk while its six-hundred separate panels susurrate in the wind.

In between, the GPAC offers an art-lover’s feast, featuring work by Stanley Lea, Jesus Moroles, Kathleen Ash, Charles Pebworth, Rebecca Finley and others — with James Surls’ “Around the Flower Wall” as the visual centerpiece.

While Austin Hall anchors SHSU’s quadrangle, the Peabody Library, Estill Library, and the Administration Building complement the historic — and most aesthetically pleasing — region of the university’s campus. But SHSU has more recent architectural achievements about which to boast. Indeed, the Gaertner Performing Arts Center — so impressive for its art holdings — also impresses architecturally.

...

These art holdings and architectural marvels will be featured in the first week of “the heART of Huntsville,” a program designed to explore and promote the arts and architecture in the community. This four-week program meets on Tuesday nights: Sept. 15, Sept. 22, Sept. 29, and Oct. 6. The cost is $25 and space is limited.

Also, to commemorate the event, local artist Lee Jamison painted “Austin Hall at Dusk,” signed and numbered prints of which will be offered to participants in the program at a reduced price.

SHSU to Open New Creative Community For Fine Arts Majors

2015-06-26T15:37:00.002-05:00

The Huntsville Item (Jun. 24) discusses the new Fine Arts and Mass Communication Creative Community coming to Belvin-Buchanan Hall later this fall:

The new and improved 13,000 square-foot facility will be open to COFAMC majors and will feature state-of-the-art technology and studios for students to utilize during all hours of the day.

“Right now we’re in phase one of the project and that is installing sound isolation rooms, a conference room, digital studios, art animation studios and sound recording studios,” [assistant director for student discipline and risk management Wayne] Bennett said. “There will also be a dance studio and a small art gallery so art students can display their work. There is also an underground performance space which will serve as a multipurpose room.”

The multipurpose, underground performance space comes with 80 portable theater chairs, a stage and stage lights, a high-definition projection system with 7.1 surround sound, as well as a fully functional control room and green screen.

Belvin-Buchanan Hall will also be going through a huge change when it converts from an all-female dorm to a coed dorm and will be open to only COFAMC majors. The facility is scheduled to open this fall, with crews working hard to finish the final touches on the space.

Bennett says one of the greatest things about the new creative community is being able to tie the living space in with academics, and be able to provide this technology to students without them having leave their dorm.

Huh - that sort of reminds me of the Departmental Dorms. Sort of.

SHSU to Break Ground on New Center

2015-06-12T13:04:00.000-05:00

The Huntsville Item discusses the new headquarters of the Department of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering Technology and the groundbreaking ceremony on the site location of the new Fred Pirkle Engineering Technology Center, at the corner of Bowers Boulevard and Sam Houston Avenue on Friday (Jun. 12) at 1:30 p.m.

The new building will feature four levels which will be filled with state-of-the-art technology that is specialized for each program and major. The “Edison Innovation Level” will include collaboration areas, an electronics and robotics lab, clean manufacturing and wet lab, machine and woodworking shops and an outside, covered work area.

The “Fred Pirkle Level” will feature an innovative, pre-function lobby, multi-purpose classrooms, an alternative energy and sustainability lab, the Fred Pirkle Honorific Museum, computer laboratories and an outdoor academic courtyard.

The “Thomas Jefferson Level” will include an animal science physiology labs, animal science research lab, agricultural science student-teacher classroom, agricultural business computer lab and seminar room, horticulture science and crop lab, a student lounge and adjunct faculty offices.

The “Sam Houston Level” will house administrative and faculty offices, as well as a seminar room and graduate student and teaching assistant cubicles.

“It’s remarkable, it’s an unbelievable feeling,” Stanley Kelley, department chair said. “It’s been about a two-year process, so to be able to actually break the ground and have the ceremonial groundbreaking is really, to me, bringing all of this to fruition and making a dream finally start coming through. We have gone from just a concept to a whole book of what everything will look like. ... It’s a very specialized academic building. It’s going to be state-of-the-art in terms of the learning environments that’s going to be in the facility let alone the specialized equipment that will be in there. Servicing the engineering technology portion of our department we will have a sustainable energy laboratory along with a sustainable energy patio, so we can do solar and wind energy demonstrations along with the academics that go with it. We’ll have the innovations lab, which students will be able to take a conceptual idea, and through group efforts and teamwork, be able to build and to engineer a final product. In terms of the agricultural portion, we’ll have a wildlife and physiology laboratories and the association research labs to go with that. We’ll have a floral design lab and floral display area, a very unique agricultural business and agricultural communication classroom where students will be learning in pods in group learning effort.”

The new facility was made possible by a generous donation from SHSU alumni Fred Pirkle, who donated $10 million for the new building, $10 million for student scholarships and $5 million for faculty enrichment, for a combined total of $25 million.

Currently, the department is housed in the Thomason Building, where it has remained for the last few years. Kelley says once they move into the new building, the Thomason Building will then be converted into support offices for the university.

Construction on the new facility will begin sometime next week and is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2016. The first classes to be held in the building will take place during the 2017 Spring semester.

Time Capsule: Centenary of M.B. Etheredge

2015-06-08T09:49:00.000-05:00

The Huntsville Item celebrates the centenary of M.B. Etheredge:

Huntsville’s greatest combat hero was born 100 years ago today — June 7, 1915 — on a 500-acre farm owned by his parents five miles west of Weldon, Texas.

Assigned to Company K, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, in 1944, Lieutenant Etheredge was the only survivor among the company’s six officers after the brutal fighting at the Anzio beachhead. His heroism in Italy and France earned him three Silver Stars for gallantry in action, two Bronze Stars for valor, and two Purple Hearts for being wounded in action, along with the Combat Infantryman Badge.

M.B.’s awards and decorations among World War II soldiers rank second only to those of Lieutenant Audie Murphy of Hunt County, Texas, with whom he later became close friends when both saw postwar service with Texas’s famed 36th Infantry Division (nicknamed “T-Patchers” for the large T for Texas on their shoulder insignia).

With the war won in 1945, M.B. returned to Sam Houston State to earn a Master of Arts degree, served three significant terms in the Texas House of Representatives, held leadership positions at Huntsville’s Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club, helped charter two area banks, and taught for 33 years as an associate professor of education at Sam Houston State University.

Etheredge died in 2014.

City Addresses Town Creek Drainage Project

2015-06-08T07:03:00.000-05:00

We've mentioned the Town Creek drainage project in the past, as has the Item, and it's popped up again there as revealed in this June 7 article. SHSU purchased property in this area (15 acres at 615 16th Street) in 2012.

Town Creek is a drainage project that will address some of the City’s most critical infrastructure. The proposal involves replacing 7,700 linear feet of the existing Town Creek drainage system. Portions were enclosed in the 1960s using a combination of decommissioned rail cars and masonry and include seven roadway crossings composed of the tank cars and concrete culverts.

What’s needed now is the removal and replacement of the existing drainage structures and drainage lines that feed into the open channel areas. Roads, parking lots, and sidewalks will be repaired while water and sanitary utilities are relocated as needed. The upgraded drainage structures will add increased capacity to the system and provide relief to outdated infrastructure.

Town Creek is part of a network of streams that serve as the storm water drainage system for the city of Huntsville. This creek spans the length of town, flowing from the southeast side at Sycamore Street though the historic Cultural District area toward the north, and finally emptying into the Trinity River. Over 163 acres of land adjoin this creek and many more utilize it for drainage.

During the 1960s, decommissioned railroad tanker cars were used as a low-cost method to provide an underground drainage structure. The cars were lowered into the creek bed, welded together, and then sealed with melted rubber tires.

Bearkat Boulevard runs the northern perimeter of Sam Houston State University. It is one of the main arterial streets for student access to the University from State Highway 19. Additionally, access to the Rita B. Huff Humane Society animal shelter and other private businesses becomes impossible during heavy rain. 7th Street is a primary street parents and students traverse to and from Samuel W. Houston Elementary School.

The City expects an upcoming announcement of the grant from the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Department of Emergency Management’s (TDEM) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), and to move forward with the drainage advancements this year.

Austin Hall: 166 Years of History Endured

2015-04-30T12:53:00.000-05:00

Another in this semester's review of the buildings on campus (Apr. 27); this time, the Houstonian's Leslie Cordova celebrates Austin Hall:

William Martin Barrett was the appointed architect and contractor for the first permanent building of Austin College in Huntsville in 1851 with an estimated $2.27 million budget. The facility was opened to students in 1852. It was established as the first law school in Texas in 1855, was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark in 1964 and is also the oldest educational building west of the Mississippi River.

The building was restored over the years although many documents and equipment had been lost. A new cupola and thousands of bricks with names carved into them were saved. Once the renovations were completed, Austin Hall was rededicated in October 1986.

Rather Building Cultivates Journalistic Integrity

2015-04-23T09:20:00.000-05:00

Another in a series from the Houstonian about the building on campus; this week the Rather Communication Building:

The building was dedicated on Oct. 21, 1994 in honor of alumnus and CBS anchor Dan Rather.

Construction on the facility began June 1983 and cost an estimated $2.6 million to build the 39,536 square foot building. Completion was late December 1984.

The building, formerly known as the Communications Building, was built under the administration of then university President Elliot T. Bowers. The building houses the department of public communications, which includes journalism, photography, radio-television and speech communications.

The first floor is home of 90.5 The Kat KSHU, the campus radio station, and the Robert Eubanks Studio, the main control and productions facility for Cable Channel 7.The second floor features a computer lab and The Houstonian office and the third floor contains classrooms, offices and several editing bays equipped with the latest editing software.

Recreational Sports Center Faces Damage, Closure

2015-04-22T07:53:00.000-05:00

The Houstonian reports that parts of SHSU's Recreational Sports Center are closed until at least the end of the semester while repairs are made to the water damaged property:

“The majority of the damage that you’ve seen from social media or whatnot has been sustained to the rock wall area and that lower section of the rec center,” Melissa Fadler, associate director of marketing and promotions for the rec center, said. “The multipurpose room two, the climbing wall area and our fitness assessment room were all flooded with about a foot-and-a-half of water.”

However, Fadler said that the damages go beyond the pictures that have been posted on social media.

“I know a lot of people think that it was just that one space that we needed to shut down, but the truth is that whenever all the water came through…the building, a lot of the mud from the construction area up above collected in our pool [and] came into the main weight room,” Fadler said. “Because there was so much water, it actually flooded a lot of the weight room as well.”

The rec center is currently facing approximately $1-2 million in reparations which will be covered under insurance. Currently, the center is trying to remove all of the leftover water and mud before replacing damaged property.

“They’ve cleaned up all the mud and they’ve cleaned up most of the standing water,” Fadler said. “They boarded up the hole. Right now what they’re doing is pumping in hot air to try to evaporate as much of the water that might still be stuck underneath the floors and the walls as possible. The appraiser said that because we suffered water damage in the walls and floors, we’re going to have to replace [them].”

As for the pool, mud is still being removed.

Certain areas of the Health & Kinesiology Center (HKC) remain open for student and faculty use, however.

“We’re still sort of open,” Fadler said. “The basketball courts are still open, we’re still monitoring various areas [and] we’re still offering fitness classes, just in different rooms. The [HKC] department has generously offered to share [their weight room] with us so we’re able to at least let people lift weights in that smaller room. Our elevated track is still open and if people need extra fitness space, they can use the racquetball courts for open rec.”

As of right now, there is no predicted reopening date.

Criminal Justice Center turns 50

2015-04-21T09:13:00.000-05:00

The Houstonian details the celebrations around the 50th anniversary of the Beto Criminal Justice Center:

The center will celebrate its 1965 founding with special events starting Thursday. With such rich history and superior programming, a committee formed in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the college with several different events. An anniversary gala will be held Friday night to highlight the successes of the college during the past five decades. It will begin with a cocktail hour in the Criminal Justice Center lobby that is open to all.

The college’s criminal justice program began as a result of three men. Former director of the Texas Department of Corrections George J. Beto, former president of Sam Houston State College Arleigh B. Templeton and local legislator David W. Crews.

Storm Does Some Damage

2015-04-19T10:05:00.000-05:00

The Item reports that Huntsville, New Waverly and other parts of Walker County were struck hard Thursday night with torrential downpours and high-speed winds, which damaged homes, vehicles and businesses.

Several buildings at Sam Houston State University were damaged, with the most severe happening to the Recreational Sports Center. Julia May, associate director of communications and public information officer for SHSU, says a glass and brick wall caved in due to built-up water pressure.

“We had several people who were inside and the water rushed into the lower level where the rock wall is,” May said Friday. “There was no one on the rock wall and everybody was able to get out quickly and safely.”

May says a professional cleaning crew was working nonstop to get the area cleaned up and stabilized in the event of more severe weather this weekend.

The recreational center will be closed for the remainder of the school semester, however, May says classes will still be held as usual, and that the university is working to accommodate students who still want to exercise in other parts of the building that were undamaged.

New Scoreboards For SHSU

2015-04-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

Get ready to see numbers soar with the new scoreboards coming to Bowers Stadium, Johnson Coliseum, and the Bearkat Softball Complex, reports the Houstonian:

The new additions are products of a partnership between Wismer Distributing Company’s Jim and Tonya Ferris, Ann Wismer and Michael Landolt in Baytown, Kurt Stevenson of Steven Beer Distributing Company in Trinity, Anheuser-Busch and the SHSU Department of Athletics.

Bowers Stadium’s new scoreboard will be the biggest scoreboard in the Football Championship Subdivision. It will stand at 32 feet, 4 inches by 79 feet, 6 inches. The board will include full LED lighting, 15 mm, high-definition video display for live video, custom animation, color graphics along with statistics, time and results.

As for Johnson Coliseum, it will replace its current scoreboard with a new 17 feet, 9.3 inches tall by 31 feet, 1.6 inches wide scoreboard. The scoreboard will include a 10 mm video display for live video for its basketball and volleyball games. The coliseum is already set to see $9.5 million in renovations after a Texas State University Board of Regents decision in February.

The scoreboard for softball will stand at 23 feet, 11.2 inches tall by 27 feet wide with a live video screen.

The scoreboards are set to be finished by the fall 2015 semester.

A Look at the Campus Libraries Over Time

2015-04-16T09:44:00.000-05:00

George Peabody, Harry Estill, and Newton Gresham never sat down for dinner together but their names are memorialized in the three library buildings that all still stand on the SHSU campus. In conjunction with National Library Week, the Houstonian looks back at these three buildings:

This week is National Library Week and the Newton Gresham Library, located near the Sam Houston statue on campus, was first occupied in 1969, and it is the third library the institution has established.

The first library at SHSU was the building now known as a social gathering place, the Peabody building. It was originally the George Peabody Memorial Library. The Peabody Library was built in 1902, and it remained the library until 1928, when student population outgrew the space.

The second library established on campus was the Harry F. Estill Library. The Estill Library was used until student population outgrew the space once more in 1969. Now this building is referred to as the Estill building and is used for various University offices while the Newton Gresham Library is accommodating the student population for library purposes.

The library is estimated to possess 1.4 million books. The library also provides access to computers with the computer lab containing 72 computers, 20 computers stationed in front of the reference desk and more throughout the building’s four floors.

Gen. Sam Houston’s “Rock” A Year Older

2015-04-16T09:31:00.000-05:00

The 196th birthday of Margaret Moffette Lea Houston, wife of General Sam Houston, will be commentated in conjunction with Founders Day this Saturday, reports the Houstonain:

Margaret Lea’s birthday event began around the year 1960. The director at the time felt Margaret should be celebrated alongside her husband for her contributions.

It was a huge event for years but then it died down a bit in the 1980s. The museum director brought the celebration back in 2012. However, last year, due to different circumstances, the event was not held.

Following tradition, attendees are asked to bake a cake for the event. As of now, there are 20 cakes lined up for the enjoyment of the community on Saturday.

Once the main celebration has concluded, there will be a program where Una Grace Nash, a Huntsville local who has portrayed Margaret Lea in the play “Gone to Texas” in previous years, will make an appearance.

The event will be held outside of the Woodland home which is the Houston’s actual home on the grounds of the museum. The museum will be open for those present to explore the grounds and learn a little more about the Houstons and their lives.

SHSU Expands Its Nursing Program In The Woodlands

2015-04-10T13:34:00.000-05:00

The Houston Chronicle reports (Apr. 9) that as the health care industry continues to boom in The Woodlands, SHSU is working to fill a growing demand for nurses in the region:

A new nursing wing is under construction at Sam Houston State University's The Woodlands Center on the fourth floor of a building on the Lone Star College-Montgomery campus in The Woodlands.

The $2.5 million center is being built in phases. The first phase is complete and students started in the program there in January. That phase included a large nursing skills laboratory, a nursing simulation center, administration offices and some faculty offices.

The second phase, currently under construction, will include a skills lab and additional faculty offices.

And while we're down in The Woodlands...

The school is exploring the possibility of opening a medical school just north of The Woodlands at the former Camp Strake site, which would be the first medical school in Montgomery County.

"We are currently in development on degree programs to put there," [Dean of the university's college of health sciences Dr. Michael] Lacourse said.

The university could face a long and difficult road to winning approval. Sam Houston State would need to get approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the regents of the state university system, as well as find the money to build it.

Johnson Development Corp. has agreed to set aside land at Camp Strake, a 2,000-acre campground south of Conroe that served the Boy Scout of America for seven decades and was purchased by the Houston-based developer last year.

While no final deal had been made, Johnson spokesman Bernard Kaplan confirmed talks between the university and the developer have taken place. He said the medical school's construction at Camp Strake was contingent on the university raising the money to build the hospital.