State IHL approves capital improvement projects for Ole Miss. See what they are

Ed Inman
Updated ·3 min read

The University of Mississippi is expected to increase available student housing in Oxford by roughly 981 beds and see improved athletic and academic facilities over the next several years as part of a $245 million bond issue approved Thursday by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees.

The bond issue is part of a combined $278 million capital improvements project at the campus that will also be funded through $5 million in private gifts, $10 million in currently appropriated state funding and $18 million in internal cash reserves.

The $156 million housing project will provide residence facilities for up to 6,600 on-campus students with initial occupancy expected to be 6,200.

“This will increase the debt to levels higher than we have seen in the last 10 years but the university has the room to absorb this,” IHL Trustee Tom Duff said.

The University of Mississippi is in line for improvements after the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees on Thursday approved a bond issue as part of a combined $278 million capital improvements project at the campus.
The University of Mississippi is in line for improvements after the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees on Thursday approved a bond issue as part of a combined $278 million capital improvements project at the campus.

The Oxford campus has seen steady student growth in recent years with a 5.7% student increase in 2022 and an 8.7% increase in 2023, Duff said.

The project will also provide for demolition of the existing Kincannon Hall. IHL Trustees initially approved the demolition of Kincannon on March 16, 2023.

McCarty Architects has been selected as design professionals for the new building.

Other projects included in the overall plan:

  • A new softball stadium, complete with associated amenities (dugouts, seating, press box, restrooms, etc.). The stadium design will include coaches’ offices, training/treatment space, a team lounge and locker rooms. The university started demolition of the existing softball facility in May 2023. New field construction immediately followed and is set to be complete for the 2024 season with the new stadium scheduled to be complete for the 2025 season.

  • Improvements to the university’s art, theatre and film departments, including a new scene shop and rehearsal space for the Department of Theatre & Film and a recording studio and ensemble space for the Department of Music.

  • Renovation of the Ole Miss Soccer Complex will include additional concessions, additional restrooms (patron and team), a larger press box, a new ticket office and direct access to parking. The existing seating will be upgraded to include shade for existing seating as well as a new student seating area.

  • Ole Miss Rifle Facility improvements to include a study of existing campus facilities and/or new campus sites to provide improved team amenities.

  • Improvements to the Gillom Sports Center to include a new videoboard for volleyball competitions, corrections to HVAC deficiencies, office realignment for female head coaches, and enhanced student­ athlete spaces.

  • Renovations to Vardaman Hall including a new elevator to improve accessibility to the building floors, new, energy efficient utility systems and other improvements to meet current building code/ADA requirements.

  • Development of a comprehensive early childhood center to provide clinical and educational services for children ages birth to 6 years old. The facility will be housed in the South Oxford Center with improvements to include upgrades to common areas and infrastructure of the building.

IHL trustees, in a related development on Thursday, also approved the preliminary exterior design for a planned expansion at Oxford-University Baseball Stadium. The project will focus on upgrading patron amenities along the third base line, including a Hall of Fame Plaza and new entry gates at street level. Funding for that $30 million project will be provided by self-generated athletic revenues.

Thursday’s IHL meeting, which marked the first for 2024, was chaired by Dr. Alfred McNair of Gautier who serves as chief of medical staff at Biloxi Regional Medical Center and operates a private medical center in Ocean Springs.

McNair, in opening the meeting, offered special recognition to Dr. Marcus L. Thompson, attending his first IHL meeting as the newly appointed President of Jackson State University, and to John Sewell, who has been hired as the new Mississippi IHL Director of Communications.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MS IHL approves capital improvement projects for Ole Miss