News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Tennessee Tech University will bring in portable buildings to move the football program’s offices out of leaky Tucker Stadium.
Although Vice President for Programs and Finance Claire Stinson told Trustees that the buildings were “semi-temporary” fix until a new stadium could be built, Tech President Phil Oldham admitted that will not be possible for the foreseeable future.
“Obviously we want to build a new stadium, but that’s a difficult project to get going right now,” Oldham said. “We can’t use any state money for that. So, in the current environment, that’s just a difficult thing to do. We’re going to keep pushing on that.”
Oldham said multiple options have been explored to repair the leaks to Tucker Stadium to no avail. He said it is a priority to get those working in the basement offices to a dry workspace.
Stinson announced the plans for the metal, prefabricated buildings to the Trustees sitting on the Audit and Business Committee Tuesday morning. It was part of $1.2 million dollars set aside for Disclosed Projects in the 2020-2021 budget. Those projects include almost $500,000 dollars for new campus signing and $400,000 dollars for the temporary offices.
Stinson said donations will be necessary to create a permanent fix. The metal buildings will be in place until a new stadium can be built or new office space becomes available.
“We just needed to move people out of those offices and this is a solution that we can use until perhaps we have enough dollars donated, or whatever, it will have to be donations, for a new football stadium.”
Trustee Johnny Stites wanted to make sure the other Trustees understood there would now be metal buildings on a campus dominated by Georgian Architecture. Trustee Sally Pardue pushed back on the plan, expressing concern over the visual the buildings would present.
“There’s a certain transient look to a prefab building,” Pardue said, “even if they are well constructed, that implies that it is only a temporary solution.”
Stinson said other office space on campus had been considered, but those spaces have been filled other departments.
The committee voted unanimously to send the Disclosed Projects to the full Board of Trustees for consideration Tuesday afternoon.
