Plans are in the works for Coahoma Community College to build a Student Athletic Family Enhancement Center on campus that could cost an estimated $500,000, according to President Dr. Valmadge Towner.
The CCC board unanimously approved hiring Major Design Studio, PLLC out of Columbus as the architectural firm for the project and paying the company up to $35,000 in installments during Monday’s monthly meeting.
“To not go at it alone, we would like to have some professional advisement,” said Towner explaining the reason to hire an architectural firm. “This is the firm that we have vetted. Two other firms also gave us information. We need to have a firm in place and not just go out and build something on our own.”
Responding to a query from board member Johnny McGlown, Towner said the SAFE Center would be behind Sezzie McLaurin Residence Hall and the Sigmon Center/Technical Building.
“If you know where the scoreboard is on the football field, it’s behind – north of that,” Towner said.
Towner said CCC had already paid for surveying the land.
“We’ve been trying to do this for three years,” Towner said. “We feel that we have enough funds allocated to at least make good headway.”
Towner said the $500,000 cost for the SAFE Center was a rough estimate, but Northwest Mississippi Community College and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College had similar facilities that were much more expensive.
“That’s really modest. Northwest built one for $5 million,” Towner said. “This is something we’re doing in house. We can’t afford to go out and get it like we would want to have it.”
Towner said he is trying to save as much money as possible.
“It’s part of health and wellness, but everybody can use the building,” he said.
Towner said Alcorn State University is also building a SAFE Center.
“It won’t be a weight room,” said Towner on CCC’s SAFE Center. “We have a considerable amount of space in the George Green Athletic Field House to have a weight room. This would be more involved than just that. It will not be restricted to just athletes. It will be for the entire campus.”
Towner said it is also important to budget for work on construction projects such as Curry Hall, a standalone cafeteria and pavement projects.
Jerone Shaw, chief of staff for physical plant, reiterated some of Towner’s sentiments.
“It’s a 10,000 square foot facility,” Shaw said. “We feel like it’s going to serve the entire campus, not just athletics. It’s going to be accessible, not only to athletics, but also to the entire campus.”
Before deciding payments to Major Design Studio, PLLC would be in installments, Towner asked if they should be in a lump sum or installments. He noted the $35,000 would come from the fund balance, which is a savings account, and the capital expense fund.
“What we’re really talking about is a project that has discrete parts,” said board attorney Steve Brandon. “There’s the design phase, the build phase. And then, for the build phase, since that may be a separate part at that time, we may need to obtain bids for that sort of thing.”
Brandon reminded the board Shaw said Major Design Studio, PLLC, was already vetted by the state and property licensed.
“All we’re asking for the board to do is approve a design fee, not a build fee,” Brandon said.
After the short discussion, the board approved paying Major Design Studio, PLLC, $35,000 in installments.
