Little Rock, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – The Arkansas State University (ASU) System Board of Trustees on Friday approved several construction and improvement projects for the Arkansas State University (A-State) campus at its meeting in Little Rock.

The board approved the construction of the Indoor Baseball Development and Training Center. The 40,000-square-foot center will have an indoor turf infield, three batting cages and pitching tunnels, a weight room, various meeting spaces, coaching and support staff offices, and more. A-State Athletics announced plans for the center in October.

A $5 million construction loan, obtained through the Red Wolves Foundation and in partnership with Centennial Bank, will fund the project.

“That’s been a priority for both Coach Silva [head A-State baseball coach], but certainly for Chancellor [Todd] Shields as well,” said ASU System president Dr. Brendan Kelly, who announced Wednesday he would be taking the position of president of Eastern Michigan University. “Dr. Shields has been working very hard on philanthropic support for that project. This number provides a ceiling, a ceiling that will not be met for that project.”

The board also approved the renovation of, and improvements to, Kays Hall. A second, related resolution, which the board also approved, allowed the university to issue housing revenue bonds to finance the project.

Trustee Price Gardner recused himself from the discussion and vote on both resolutions, saying Friday Eldredge & Clark LLP, of which he serves as managing partner, would be issuing the bonds to finance the project.

Todd Clark, chief marketing and communications officer for A-State, told JRN the university was evaluating both interior and exterior improvements. He added that temporary protective canopies would be installed at the building’s entrances to protect people as crews worked on “potential surface and weatherproofing upgrades.”

The project is estimated to cost $16,191,729, with over $13.5 million of that funding to come from bonds and other financing sources, according to the resolution, and the other $2.5 million to come from institutional reserves.

A resolution to apply for a loan to finance the construction of the Bovine Barn, Equine Barn, and obtain a replacement chiller for the Dean B. Ellis Library, was approved by the board. This is a $2.4 million loan with an interest rate of around 0.2% with a term not to exceed 10 years. The roughly $250,000 debt service will be paid from tuition and fee revenue, according to the resolution.

The board removed the allocation restriction on A-State’s $10 per-credit-hour technology fee. According to the resolution, 80% of the fees were to go to information infrastructure, 10% to instructional technology, and 10% to student services. It said this allocation method had become “restrictive” given developments in technology.

With the resolution’s approval, the money can now be allocated toward network/server/cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity systems, academic technology services and classroom support, student computing environments, and various technology upgrades. This will not result in a cost increase for students.

“This is reflective of both Dr. Shields and Dr. White [A-State provost] trying to modernize the funding structure at A-State. This was passed originally in 2008. The iPhone was one year old, and the segmenting of the fee seemed reasonable at the time,” Kelly said. “Technology has evolved, and what you’re seeing here is more flexibility in ensuring they’re meeting the needs and expectations of students.”

The board approved several temporary easements for the City of Jonesboro to build and maintain pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure in various lots of the University Trailer Park. It also approved granting the city a temporary easement to facilitate public infrastructure improvements on Johnson Avenue next to A-State.

The board also approved a resolution naming the boardroom in the Judd Hill Center in Jonesboro after Pam Kail, honoring her extensive work with the ASU System. It will be titled the Pam Kail Boardroom.

In other business, the board approved the following:

  • Established a policy dictating how the ASU System must disclose any gifts exceeding $250,000, contracts, or cultural exchange agreements entered into with foreign adversaries.
  • A utility easement to the City of Mountain Home for the construction of utility lines at the intersection of Fuller and Terrington streets at ASU Mountain Home.
  • ASU Three Rivers in Malvern to offer eight new Certificates of Proficiency.
  • A resolution allowing Henderson State University in Arkadelphia to grant a permanent right-of-way easement at Feaster Trail.

Read the full agenda and resolutions here.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include more information regarding the Kays Hall renovation project.