USM Physical Plant begins Roberts Hall demolition
Roberts Hall, a former dormitory built in 1968, is now being demolished after standing vacant since 2010. The demolition is just one of many new plans for changes on the University of Southern Mississippi’s Hattiesburg campus.
The Physical Plant, which maintains the physical environment and the academic facilities on campus, worked for ten years to develop
a plan to protect the campus’s unique build and environmental assets.
The Physical Plant is also work- ing with the Mississippi Division of Archives to preserve historical sites on campus that can be saved and restored.
The Physical Plant drafted a master plan outlining the changes that could happen to the campus, such as the current demolition of a former dormitory.
“When we were going through and looking at our different projects. We found an opportunity to tear down Roberts Hall in con- junction with the Criminal Justice Project,” said Physical Plant Director, Neil Bohn.
Demolition began Aug. 15 on the former residence hall. The project is expected to be completed by November this year with an estimated 11-week procedure.
Throughout the demolition process, the use of machinery will impact pedestrian and vehicular traffic on Eagle Walk and near the project site. Therefore, the demolition area has been marked off with a construction fence for safety.
“For the safety of all, please re- main outside the boundaries of the construction fence,” the Physical Plant said in a statement released to all students and faculty at USM.
After destruction is complete, the immediate plan is for the space to become a green area. The green area will later become a parking lot to address campus parking after renovations to the criminology building are finished.
The Southern Miss campus can also expect other renovation and construction projects to come in the following years. For example, renovation of Southern Hall, Hickman Hall (which is currently starting renovations), and Fritzsche-Gibbs are on the docket to be completed.
Please visit the USM Physical Plants website for more information on other projects.
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