Regents tour soon-to-be-completed River Campus expansion

Members of the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents got a sneak peek Thursday at the River Campus expansion as it nears completion.

Tours were conducted by Facilities Management staff as part of the regents' meeting.

Construction costs for the 93,500-square-foot expansion, which will include 184 total beds, are budgeted at $23,284,000. Work by contractor River City Construction of Peoria, Illinois, started in fall 2013, and the project is expected to be completed next month for use in the fall.

The building is designed to be an intersection for theater, dance, art and music. The outside of the building will include a mural made from historic bricks depicting a variety of arts disciplines.

The first floor has a dining area that can serve 120 people, with a view of the Mississippi River. It also holds practice rooms, classrooms, a choral rehearsal room, a display wall and benches, a dance studio and a directing/acting studio. A patio dining area has been finalized, said director of Facilities Management Angela Meyer.

University officials toured the River Campus Residence Hall Thursday, June 26, 2014. (Fred Lynch)

She said the dance studio floor was purchased at the time the River Campus was built in 2007, and it's been moved several times. "This is its final home," Meyer said as she conducted one of several tours of the facility.

The mezzanine level has an art room.

The second and third floors have student suites with kitchenettes, microwaves and full-size refrigerators, 32-inch TVs, couches, coffee tables, end tables and chairs.

A presidential guest room, which can be reserved through the president's office, has a living room, bedroom, bathroom, refrigerator and dishwasher.

The second floor will have about 12 offices for departments needing space.

Two student lounges on the third floor will offer two TVs, a stove, microwave, full refrigerator and dishwasher.

Regents Tom Meyer and Jay Knudtson were impressed with the building. The River Campus was a joint venture between the university, city and state, but Knudtson, a former mayor of Cape Girardeau, said not everyone embraced the idea.

"I fought hard for it because I believed it represented the only way to develop that part of town," Knudtson said. And to see what it's becoming, he said, is a "win-win-win" situation.

"In terms of the facility, it was majestic," Knudtson said, adding he thinks Southeast has done a tremendous job of carving out a niche for itself in its arts curriculum. "... It

really goes a long way toward separating us from many other universities. I think that's so important in these times of strained budgets and less reliance on the state to support us. ... We're now at 42 percent-ish funded by the Legislature, and 10 years ago, I think that number was close to 70."

Meyer said occupancy is over 80 percent in the River Campus dorms, and a good number of those students haven't seen the facility yet. He said having a mix of majors at the River Campus will prompt students to work together.

The larger rooms for dancing and theater are outstanding, Meyer said.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

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