During this semester, Jones Street will be transformed into a green-carpeted social area. Depending on the weather, the processes will take four to five months. When the construction starts Monday, Feb. 6, Jones Street between Rome and Lillian streets will permanently close to vehicular traffic, but will reopen to pedestrians in Fall 2012.

 

“Jones street has become a fairly busy thoroughfare with the other streets being closed, so we have been intentional [sic] for leaving it open but that’s just until we get this project finalized,” Vice President of Student Life Rusty Jergins said. “Whatever traffic is on Jones Street will really be directed farther back to Shirley Street.”

 

Students living in Legends and Legacy will need to enter/exit the halls through the courtyard or side doors and travel behind the residence halls to Lillian street to access the campus.  Centennial residents can access all residence hall doors, however, they will need to travel behind Legends and Legacy to access campus down Lillian Street.

 

“One of the things we are trying to do is to create more green space, be concerned about providing areas for students to gather and congregate and take advantage of being outdoors,” Jergins said. “The greatest benefit will be the safety. That has been paramount in all of our decisions to look at for closing the streets.”

 

Their overall approach is to enhance the north side of the campus. The first phase was building legends in the fall of 2009. When more housing was needed, Tarleton leased Bosque Crossing but that still wasn’t enough. In 2011 the next phase completed the Legacy housing building. “We didn’t want to have to redo the streets and still have construction going on, so we finished building Legacy then did Shirley Street. We then moved to the parking lot and now we are coming to Jones Street,” Jergins said.

 

This phase will be funded from the remaining money of the housing projects. “We are not quiet sure how much it will cost because they are still sharpening the pencil and making the final estimate,” Jergins said. “It would be immature of me to say what it will cost now because I’m not sure what the end product will look like.”

 

SpawGlass served as the general contractor on the new parking area located north of the Barry B. Thompson Student Center at the intersection of Lillian and Jones streets. They remained on campus to work on this project. “We didn’t want to close the streets and then [have them] just look like streets, so careful attention is been giving to try make that [happen],” Jergins said.

 

The plans include repaving, adding grass, trees, screen fencing, seat walls, and an area for students to sit outside and study. A fire lane will be used on one third of Jones street on the west end and one third of Jones street on east end. “This is more landscaping than building,” Jergins said. “We have a very attractive campus, and we are trying to complement what already exist.”

 

“The projects that we have done recently; the adding to the university physical structures, the nursing building and the rec center, helps compliment that area and helps provide educational opportunities,” Jergins said. “Even the streets will play into the overall appearance and the environment we are trying to create.”