South Dakota State students have only been gone for three months, but Brookings has undergone some big changes in that time. Apart from the traffic cones overtaking Sixth Street, campus is also getting plenty of updates.

PAC expansion

The expansion of the Performing Arts Center began in the spring of this year and is set to be completed by the end of 2018 and fully-functional by spring 2019. This expansion will add nearly 100,000 square feet and offer an 850-seat proscenium theater, small recital hall, dance studio and more than 30 faculty offices. 

The newly-renovated PAC will provide one home for State University Theatre, the Department of Music and students of the dance minor. The PAC parking lot is closed, leaving one less parking lot for people to use during football season.

Beginning of Wellness Center expansion

The expansion of the Wellness Center will cost $14.4 million and take about 18 months to complete, which will be by 2019. 

The expansion will bring a new gymnasium court, a multipurpose activity court, two racquetball courts, a studio, more fitness space, an Outdoor Program space and additional storage spaces. 

The clinic remodel will put the pharmacy in the main lobby hallway, as well as add more clinic rooms and counseling spaces. The welcome desk will relocate to a central space between old and new buildings. Conference rooms will be added where the front desk currently exists.

Alumni Green Project

Work on the President’s House, Alumni Center and Alumni Green that began in May 2016 are now complete. The dedication for Alumni Green is scheduled for Sept. 15.

The Alumni Green features a replica of the original clock tower that stood atop the “Old North” building on campus in the 1980s. The plaza area around the clock tower is named after the Tompkins family, who helped establish the original alumni center.

Steve Erpenbach, SDSU Foundation President and CEO, expects to see regularly held campus events on the Alumni Green, such as the Hobo Day Committee’s Hobolympics.

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The President’s House is President Barry Dunn’s new residence. Parties and gatherings are traditionally held in the President’s House and the building will be used on occasion for visitors to campus and other SDSU supporters. It includes a new courtyard which will also help accommodate outdoor events.

The Alumni Center is not only for alumni but also students, and Erpenbach believes there will be opportunities for students to be part of it. The first official event in the center is a send-off for Miss South Dakota Miranda Mack as she leaves for the Miss America competition Monday, Aug. 28. The building features pieces of SDSU history in the alumni gallery to help students “appreciate the past of SDSU.”