Plans for renovations are in the works at Nicholls with the help of generous donations and state funds.
According to Mike Davis, the assistant vice president of facilities, there are many renovations to campus that are currently “in design,” and students should start to see the changes in about a year.
The culinary building is the first major change that will take place within the next few months.
“The new culinary building should be finished being built around November of this year and classes will be held in it by spring 2015,” Davis said.
Another update to the campus will be in Talbot Hall and the Mary M. Danos Theater. The building will be fully renovated along with a roof replacement. Renovations to the Danos Theater include new lighting, a new sound system, new seats and more handicap accessibility. Renovations will also be done for the mass communication department’s classrooms, the television studio and the KNSU radio station. The money for Talbot’s face-lift was raised thanks to donors and capital outlay money from the state.
“We have been requesting the funds for this project since 2012,” Davis said. “We are very happy that the money has finally been raised.”
The Didier baseball stadium will also be renovated with a newer and bigger press box along with a real concession stand. According to Davis, the new press box will be able to accommodate more press for larger games, and it will be wheelchair accessible. This project won’t happen until much later this year.
Revamping of the boy’s locker and training rooms along with the coach’s office in Stopher gym will also be taking place later on in the year to match the updated girl’s locker room that has already been done.
Projects such as a new assembly center for the campus have been put on hold since 1984, when the funds were originally requested. The center would ideally be used for graduation and other events. The city of Thibodaux will most likely share the use of the multi-purpose space.
“The assembly center will have to wait some more because we have other projects that need to be attended to first,” Davis said.
In the coming years, Peltier hall will be renovated, Americans with Disabilities upgrades will be added to more buildings on campus, and the information technology center will be moved to the second floor of Peltier Hall, so that is no longer susceptible to flooding during hurricane season.
There have been many requests for capital outlay funds for other updates and projects around campus but, according to Davis, it is all about prioritizing.
“Nicholls requests emergency projects first, then comes the things we would like to have but are not as important,” Davis said.