The additions of the Kinesiology Building are currently well on their way. The $13 million project, only recently approved, includes almost 35,000 square feet of building for the College of Nursing at Southeastern, currently housed in Mims Hall, a two-story building originally used as a dormitory when built in 1948.

The nursing students can expect state-of-the-art classrooms as well as the latest simulation laboratories. Teachers can expect new offices.

According to Kenneth Howe, the director of Facility Planning at Southeastern, students can also expect six new tennis courts where the others beside the Kinesiology building have been taken out, as well as an outdoor track.

Construction was recently delayed due to the continuous rain in previous months, however in the past couple of weeks, the construction team has started with the steel framing of the Kinesiology building, and plan to move on to the walls and infrastructure over the course of the Fall 2010 semester.

Much of the rest of the work will be done at the end of the semester, however.

“We’re hoping over the semester break we will be able to get into the existing building and begin the renovations in that facility,” said Howe, and added that they will do everything they can to keep the gym, pool, and dance studio up, and the kinesiology research facilities open. “We’ll be cutting off the classrooms, offices and locker rooms.”

These renovations are for a stairwell that will be connecting the buildings together.

Students can also expect a few other construction projects coming up over the break, such as improvements to the tunnel connecting Southeastern’s main campus to North Campus.

“The intention is to make it much brighter, more inviting,” said Howe, who described renovations to North Campus’ main buildings area, mostly with the walkways, as well as improvements to Tinsley Gardens, located behind Garrett Hall. The renovations to the garden will include more greenery, as well as more tables and benches and an improved Wi-Fi connection.

“We hope to have everything up and running for fall 2011,” said Howe.

When asked if students would need to think about orange cones and drums blocking the road, Howe said, “The biggest obstruction students would have had to worry about was the already completed parking lot.”