Jacksonville State University board of trustees Chairman Randall Jones said that the three capital building projects are going to help the students in the long run at the Groundbreaking Ceremony on Monday.
The three building projects are the North Village Residence Hall, the Jax State Dining Hall and the Loring and Debbie White Football Complex.
According to the program given to attendants of the ceremony, the residence hall is the first one built on JSU’s campus since Meehan Hall opened in 2010. The hall will begin housing first-year residents starting in Fall 2024, according to the program.
“It will add 515 much-needed beds to university housing in shared suites consisting of two private double-occupancy rooms with two bathrooms in each unit,” the program reads.
Jax State Dining Hall will replace the 62-year old Jack Hopper Dining Hall and will be located next to Curtiss Hall, according to the program.
“It will feature a traditional food line with several concept stations and a full preparation kitchen located in the back of the house,” the program reads.
The Loring and Debbie White Football Complex will replace the existing field house at JSU Stadium, according to the program.
According to Jones, the funds to complete these projects do not come from student tuition. Instead, they come from $1 billion in bonds that were received after selling $125 million.
“People asked in 1930 why Bibb-Graves Hall was being built, and we are still using it today,” Jones said, in reference to the current Angle Hall.
Jones also promised to use local vendors for the material to build these three buildings.
“We are going to use local vendors,” he said. “This is the community we serve and we are going to use them.”
President of the JSU Foundation spoke at the ceremony, saying that none of this would be possible without the leadership of the current administration.
“Nothing is gonna happen until something moves,” he said. “And President Killingsworth is moving.”
JSU President Don Killingsworth said he always loves the sight of cranes on campus because cranes mean construction and construction means change.