Freeman Hall is hardly recognizable to anyone familiar with the corner of Fernow Street and South Palmetto Boulevard on the Clemson campus. Several first-year students have even mistaken the fenced-in area containing the front of Freeman Hall as a condemned building rather than one that is still occupied. In fact, students and visitors are amazed when they hear that the Department of Industrial Engineering and other building occupants are conducting business as usual out of the remaining back half of the building that has been spared from the demolition.
After much anticipation, the Freeman Hall construction project finally got underway this past June. The progress thus far has been steady and has included the removal of the west facing, front entrance of the building to make way for the building expansion. Current construction efforts are focused on relocating and preparing the underground utility pipes and lines so that the heavy construction can get underway in early fall.
The $10-million new addition will feature 21,000 square feet of space which will include a 108 seat auditorium, conference rooms, and office space. The new, world-class facilities will not only help attract top students and faculty, but it will also provide needed additional room for the expanding programs and personnel. The 15 month project is scheduled to be finished in time for the start of classes in fall of 2015.
This construction project is being financed by the Department of Industrial Engineering and the university. The university is essentially funding the construction project on the front side, while the industrial engineering department will pay back the construction costs to the university on a planned payment schedule, based on revenues from the highly successful Master of Engineering in Capital Projects Supply Chain. This exemplary degree program has afforded the department an alternative to meet its growing needs without financially burdening the university or taxpayers.
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