MSU-West Plains pursues two building projects worth $8M combined

Missouri State University's West Plains campus is experiencing a building boom, with two key projects worth several million dollars in the works with completion anticipated in 2010.

As population has increased - West Plains boasts a record 1,834 students - so has the need for more housing, academic advisement and continuing education.

MSU-West Plains Chancellor Drew Bennett said the campus has had enrollment growth for four consecutive semesters.

Hass-Hoover Hall is one of the two projects aimed at meeting the needs of the growing student body. With a $6 million price tag including land, construction and furnishings, the hall will house the Student Assessment and Academic Support Center for the William and Virginia Darr honors program.

Students in the honors program serve as tutors to those students needing assistance with math, English or reading.

"The students in the honors program augment and facilitate the SAAS, so in this facility, we will have some of our best students and students with some of the most needs," Bennett said.

Springfield-based Dake Wells Architecture Inc. designed Hass-Hoover Hall, with engineering by Mettemeyer Engineering LLC, structural; Smith-Goth Engineers Inc., mechanical, electrical and plumbing; and Lee Engineering, civil.

The hall also includes two community rooms, large expanses of glass and elevated decks.

The Gohn-Wood House project is the addition to and renovation of a turn-of-the-century house donated to MSU-West Plains for academic outreach programs.

The house, with a $2 million price tag for construction and furnishings, will provide space for students to obtain bachelor's and master's degrees in specific areas of study once their associate's degrees are completed.

Matt Morris, director of business and support services at MSU-West Plains, said that from an operations standpoint, both projects take advantage of energy-efficient equipment and materials.

Though neither are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified, both buildings will be constructed with lower energy costs and long-term maintenance in mind. Environmental Market Solutions Inc. served as sustainability consultant on both projects.

The names of the two projects are in honor of donors who have made the work possible.

"Neither of these projects would have been possible without the initial start of private donations," Bennett said. "We then received state money and then were able to get congressional grants that enhanced the projects."

Architect Andrew Wells, vice-president of Dake Wells Architecture, said he's excited about the MSU-West Plains projects.

"In developing the projects, I wanted to make sure (they) translated into a campus environment," Wells said.

He said designers and school officials went through a couple of different schemes before arriving at the final result. Design and schematic work took about three or four months, with mechanical designs taking another several months.

"We didn't want to be disrespectful by mimicking the existing house, so with the Gohn Wood House, we (incorporated) things that would bring the addition together," he said.

"To be the architect over both projects at the same time is fantastic. This is something that usually doesn't happen on a college campus," Wells said.

Wells said his company's job doesn't end until the project is complete.

"We stay involved throughout the entire process. We make sure that the design aspect is met while the construction is going on," he added.

General contractor bids opened Oct. 28, but all came in too high, Morris said. The projects will have to be rebid at a later date, but he expects that both projects should still be finished sometime in 2010.