Lamb Hall set to undergo renovations in 2019

During the Oct. 25 Student Government Association meeting, ETSU President Brian Noland announced plans to renovate Lamb Hall, the current home of the College of Public and Allied Health.

A multi-million dollar renovation to Lamb Hall, which was proposed in 2008, will begin in Nov. 2019.

The existing building was constructed in 1960 and another wing was added in 1968. The outdated facility requires many changes to make it up-to-date with the rest of the university.

“The renovation will include classrooms, multi-media classrooms, class labs and offices,” said Bill Rasnick, assistant vice president of the Office of Facilities Management, Planning and Construction.

Rasnick said the project was proposed to better meet the academic needs of the public and allied health students, faculty and staff.

“Accreditations issues exist due to the space limitations and the quality of space,” Rasnick said. “Plus, the mechanical and electrical systems are outdated.”

Correcting current issues throughout and improving the building overall will promote a more positive, educational environment.

Renovations are expected to cost between $21 million and $25 million, with at least $5.7 million coming from donations alone.

ETSU is funding this project through a combination of the donations and capital outlay dollars, as approved by the Tennessee Board of Regents.

According to the schedule presented to the Spring 2016 Faculty and Staff Forum, plans for the renovation are currently in the design development phase, which is slated to last until Dec. 2016.   Bidding for contracts will begin in Aug. 2017 and will last until Oct. 2017.

At the Interim University Council Meeting in Feb. 2016, Noland reported that the funding for the Lamb Hall renovations were originally deferred.

Tennessee’s Drive to 55 Fund is set to receive $20 million, which Noland stated that the funding could go towards the Lamb Hall renovations.

ETSU will receive $2.8 million from the fund, which would traditionally go towards operations and salaries, separately. This year, ETSU’s funding will be in one pot. After the salary portion is taken out, there will be $1.9 million left for operations of the university. The College of Public and Applied Health are involved and excited about the future renovations.