Growing up: university prepares for campus renovations

Liberty University will undergo an extreme makeover during the next two years.

This week Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. announced capital improvement projects, including third and fourth floor DeMoss Hall renovations, a Health Sciences building, an intramural complex, a new visitor’s center, a recreational equestrian center, Campus North additions and an amphitheater.

“The look of the campus is going to change again over the next two years,” Falwell said, looking over design plans and maps. “The campus will change almost as much in the next two years as it has over the last eight.”

Falwell presented the plans to Liberty’s board of directors Friday and to faculty Monday.
“Construction will never be cheaper, because right now the economy is so weak,” Falwell said.
The university looks for cost-effective ways to improve services, according to Director of Planning and Construction Charles Spence
“We typically build so much more cost-effective. We stretch the dollar so far, we are able to do more,” Spence said.

DeMoss Hall renovations

The university will complete renovations on the third and fourth floors of DeMoss, providing additional classroom space by fall 2011.

Falwell expects the school’s popular culinary arts classes to expand in the third floor.

The center for worship will occupy part of the fourth floor.

“Any of our departments that are cramped for space, we’ll provide space for them on those two levels,” Falwell said.

The back exterior wall of DeMoss and the adjoining one-story buildings will receive facelifts, Falwell said

“They look dated,” Falwell said.

The project will also include beautifying the DeMoss courtyard and expanding the Hangar over the next two years.

Health Sciences School

Liberty will open a 100,000-square-foot health sciences building on Campus East fall 2012.

The three-story building will house the university’s current health sciences programs for nurses as well as new programs to train physical therapists, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants and athletic trainers.

“There are lots of jobs available in those fields,” Falwell said. “It’s a big demand for any health sciences field.  It fits with our mission because a lot of our students will become medical missionaries.”

The health sciences building will include state-of-the-art equipment and labs.

“We are also upgrading our undergraduate pre-medical program,” Falwell said.

“All the academic improvements are based on feedback from students for programs they are interested in and what programs we have that need to be expanded,” Falwell said.

Intramural complex

Liberty will construct a new intramural and NCAA complex, including three regulation-size fields across from the Wingate Hotel along Route 460. The fields will be used for lacrosse, field hockey and other intramural sports.

The fields will be turf and will include bleachers.

An NCAA softball field with lights and 500 seats will adjoin the fields.

Distance runners will benefit from a new two-and-a-half-mile cross-country loop.

“Whenever you run cross-country in college you don’t want roots, you don’t want rocks. A flat, non-technical surface is best. You also want a fairly flat, fast course and that’s what you will have here,” Director of Auxiliary Services Lee Beaumont said.

The complex will include four, lighted, sand volleyball courts and a support building with locker rooms, storage, offices and bathrooms.

“It has to be ready by the fall because of the home schedule of the new NCAA team,” Beaumont said, adding that construction will likely begin in January. “This is a huge thing.”

Visitor’s center

The school will demolish the outdated Hancock Building and build a new visitor’s center on the same site.

“It will be a one-stop shop for parents and students interested in attending Liberty,” Falwell said.

The visitor’s center will include representatives from financial aid, student accounts, alumni affairs and the Registrar’s office.

Falwell said Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce could open a kiosk in the center.

“It will probably serve as one of the main visitor’s centers for the whole Lynchburg area because this is the part of Lynchburg that visitors come to first,” Falwell said.

Falwell said it is cheaper to tear down and rebuild than to renovate the Hancock Center.

The athletic programs now housed in Hancock will be moved to David’s Place.

Equestrian Center

Liberty plans to provide equestrian services on a 67-acre farm it recently purchased, which adjoins Liberty Mountain and the university’s 60-mile trail system.

The university will build several barns to accommodate students’ horses and university-owned horses.  Students will pay to board their own horses at the farm or they will be able to rent horses by the hour.

“If students want, they can bring a horse to Liberty and ride on the mountain,” Falwell said.

Beaumont said Liberty would allow students to ride horses on most of the school’s 60 miles of trails.

“It is strictly going to be a pleasure and recreational thing for Student Activities,” Falwell said.

Falwell said a young couple will oversee the equestrian center, which will open next fall.

Campus North additions

A seminary building will be added to the front of Campus North.

“They will still use a lot of the same classrooms on Campus North that they are using now,” Falwell said.

The LaHaye Student Center addition will include moving the existing Café North and building a new food court, possibly racquetball courts, cardio room, weight room, locker rooms and offices for the swim team and a gymnastic area for the LU club team.

“LaHaye and Tilley are slammed,” Beaumont said. “They need more space.”

The addition will be built on the front of the Student Center in the old driveway area.

“The plan is to add onto the front of LaHaye all the way across,” Falwell said.

The expansion project includes a 700-space parking lot on Campus North, behind Williams Stadium, Falwell said.

The increased parking will provide a needed buffer between Liberty, Thomas Road Baptist Church and Liberty Christian Academy.

“Part of this plan is to create a barrier between the two,” Falwell said. “None of our employees will park on Thomas Road property. None of Liberty’s traffic will go through Thomas Road or LCA’s parking lot. It will be a lot safer for those little kids.”

Falwell said road expansions would make the intersection at Evans Boulevard and University Boulevard the “gateway of Liberty.”

“The new addition on the front of LaHaye will be the first thing visitors see,” Falwell said.

Amphitheater

A 6,000- to 8,000-seat amphitheater will be built to accommodate outdoor concerts and dramas behind David’s Place.

“The hillside is already the perfect shape and size for an amphitheater so the cost will be very minimal,” Falwell said.

The project includes placing landscaping blocks along the hillside and constructing a covered pavilion and stage for entertainment.

Additional improvements

The two-year plan also includes building a new Regent Parkway extension that will allow students to drive from Reber-Thomas Dining Hall to the dorm circle on a new road behind the Vines Center.

The dining hall will receive additional room for cooking labs, prep space and storage.

Additional parking will also be built in the field next to the LaHaye Ice Center.

The university will also complete phase one of the Vines Center renovations, including a four-sided scoreboard, improving acoustics and replacing the ceiling tile.

Additional green spaces will be added around campus.

Although all projects are subject to change, the university has a strong long-range plan for improvements, Falwell said.

“It takes most schools five to 10 years to do what we’re doing in just one to two years,” Beaumont said.