Lamar University’s construction boom began a new phase Monday with preparations for the new Athletic Complex adjacent to Provost Umphrey Stadium.
Just after 8 a.m. Monday, construction crews began pulling down the old J.B. Higgins Field House to make room for the new structure. The heritage embodied in the Higgins name will be incorporated into the new Athletic Complex.
Construction of the Athletic Complex is one of several improvements ongoing at Lamar University this summer.
In early June, Hellas Construction of Austin began demolition of the natural turf field at W.S. “Bud” Leonard Field to make way for a state-of-the-art artificial turf playing surface. The same “Matrix” turf is used at the new Dallas Cowboys stadium. Renovations to Provost Umphrey Stadium, which will be home to the new Cardinals football program, also began in June.
Further south on campus, work began in mid-June on a new soccer complex at the intersection of Cardinal Drive and Rolfe Christopher Street. Crews from Pepper-Lawson Construction of Houston expect to have the field completed in time for the team’s third season at Lamar University this fall. Construction on a field house for the program will continue through November.
Lamar University Athletics has begun a Construction Blog and installed a Web cam to help Cardinals fans keep up with construction projects on campus to improve athletics programs. These may be found at http://www.lamarcardinals.com/blog/constructionblog.html.
Academic programs also are benefiting from construction projects this summer. The Music Building is in the midst of a complete renovation to provide students with a top-notch learning facility. An expansion of the Cherry Engineering Building will begin later this summer to house the new Ph.D. program in chemical engineering.
Fall classes at Lamar University begin August 24. For more information on LU, including admissions information, visit lamar.edu or call (409) 880-8888.
