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Commission approves early design for Tennessee Tech’s Advanced Construction and Manufacturing Engineering Building
Summary
State Building Commission approved the early design phase for Tennessee Tech University’s Advanced Construction and Manufacturing Engineering Building, a two-building project that includes demolition of the Foundry Building and Lewis Hall and a budget target the presenter described as about $72 million.
The State Building Commission on Sept. 11 approved the early design phase for Tennessee Technological University’s Advanced Construction and Manufacturing Engineering Building.
President Philip Odom opened the presentation, noting the project is intended to serve the university’s engineering students; Upland Design’s Kim Chamberlin described the project site and program, including two new buildings around a secure central courtyard, consolidation of multiple machine shops into a single machine shop, a high-bay structures lab with a reinforced ‘strong wall’ for structural testing, and a new foundry. Chamberlin said the project will demolish two existing buildings—the Foundry Building and Lewis Hall—and incorporate those spaces into the new facilities.
Chamberlin told the commission the project is “in budget” with “a big target of a little over, dollars 72,000,000,” and that the project is on schedule with a planned groundbreaking in 2026. After a motion and second, the commission voted unanimously to approve the early design phase; the roll call showed Speaker Sexton, Treasurer Lillard, Commissioner Bryson and Comptroller Mumpower voting aye.
The presenter described programmatic details including a three-story academic building with lab and machine-shop spaces concentrated on lower floors, a foundry facing Willow Avenue with both traditional and advanced foundry technologies, a strong-wall testing area, and faculty and administrative spaces on upper floors. Chamberlin said the consolidated machine shop will replace about four separate shops scattered across campus and is intended to improve safety and supervision.
The commission’s approval covers the early design phase; no construction contract award or final budget appropriation was presented at the meeting. The university and designer indicated the project will progress to later design and construction steps with a targeted groundbreaking in 2026.
Provenance: Presentation and roll call approving the early design phase began with remarks from President Philip Odom and the Upland Design presentation and concluded with a unanimous roll call approving the item.
