When students arrive to McPherson College this fall, they will be greeted with several updates across campus.
Most noticeable might be the improvements made as students arrive to campus via Gordon Street. The street was completely reconstructed with new curbs, gutters, drain boxes, a concrete surface, and was widen by several feet. Also welcoming students and visitors to campus is the first phase of the campus sign at the front entrance. The two-story structure features three arches and will eventually include a bricked courtyard, bench and low wall with “McPherson College” prominently displayed. The stone and brick work is set to begin and completion is anticipated in October.
Campus safety was improved over the summer with the installation of a keyless entry system in residence halls, the sports center, and other buildings across campus. Additional buildings will be upgraded in the future. Interior improvements were also made in Friendship Hall where carpet on walls was replaced with a new material called Acousticord; new anti-microbial, abrasion and chemical resistant flooring was installed in Metzler Hall; and new furniture was placed in Bittinger Hall.
Other, less obvious improvements, include the completion of a $7.4 million energy improvement project that replaced older steam heat boilers in campus buildings with hot water boilers making climate control safer and easier to control. Additionally, the improvements are expected to save at least $90,000 per year in utility costs.
“This is one of those project that you’re not going to see when you walk down the sidewalk, but it will serve us well into the future,” Marty Sigwing, director of facilities at McPherson College, said.
Construction also began this summer on the new Bulldog Park baseball/softball complex. The new facility is expected to be complete by the home opener in February. Improvements to the McPherson Stadium continue with the construction of a ticket booth, which will be complete by the time students return to campus.