Construction underway at the Floyd campus
Students will be able to enjoy the new gas firepit while taking in views of Paris Lake.
March 29, 2022
Students and staff that have recently visited the Floyd campus may have seen pallets of materials and caution tape strategically scattered throughout the campus.
Floyd campus manager Bradley Gilmore and building maintenance foreman Bryan Tate provided some insight surrounding the materials and how they relate to the Floyd campus and its most recent projects.
After a recent storm, the aging pavilion beside Paris Lake was deemed unsafe and demolished. However, some staff felt this left the campus lacking in lakeside accommodations.
“We needed or wanted to have another space that was outside for students to be able to go to relax, to enjoy themselves,” Gilmore said. “There are not very many places in the USG or even locally that have this kind of view, so we are trying to pull focus there.”
The walking area green space between the Walraven building and the library is receiving an overhaul that is anticipated to be visually pleasing and an asset to students and staff alike.
A planned courtyard between the buildings with columns includes preliminary electrical work, rounded walkways and strategic landscaping featuring Bloodgood Japanese maples are in store for the campus’s future.
“It’s not going to be right away, but the game plan is to have power to the columns where you can plug up and charge,” Tate said.
“You’re sitting out here between classes or studying. You have a great library you can go into, but when the weather is nice, you got a nice breeze you can sit out here, do your studying, plug in your laptop or your phone. Whatever you need is right here,” Gilmore said.
A grassy knoll outside the library that faces the lake has been transformed into a patio. The deck floor, built-in seating with electrical power and a rounded gas fireplace have all been finished in stone. The fireplace is eagerly anticipated for the winter of 2022.
“I can envision it being lit for special occasions like having a concert series or book readings,” Gilmore said. He added that the patio will also have picnic tables.
“It’s going to be a great place to come and have lunch,” Tate said.
“This is where I want to take all my meetings. It’s going to be so nice because of that backdrop (Paris Lake),” Gilmore said. “I mean, once you’re out there, it’s kind of a world upon itself.”
Lady Chargers basketball players Jada Alston and Jenee Edwards are anticipating the completion of the project.
“I’ll be outside everyday as soon as it’s done,” Alston said.
“It’ll be a great benefit for students. It’s going to be one hundred percent useful,” Edwards said.
Other projects around the campus include the resurfacing of the two-mile walking trail surrounding Paris Lake with fresh gravel, a new aluminum fence around the observatory and a drainage project. It will provide a newly built walking bridge that allows students to pass over the drainage leading to the lake.
There are currently no official project completion dates.
“All the projects we have going on have multiple phases. So, you see kind of the first stage now, and there are long-term plans to improve continually,” Gilmore said.
