Lee University Begins Campus Expansion
February 26, 2013–CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Lee University has begun work on a multimillion dollar expansion which will connect their 105-acre campus with downtown Cleveland.
Lee officials announced the project last December and razing of a former retail building, the first step of the project, began earlier this month. The demolition also included a multiunit apartment building which was part of a donation by local entrepreneur Alan Jones. As of today, nearly all traces of the two structures have been removed and work will soon begin on removing cement and asphalt in preparation of the area for a large green space, creating an entrance gateway to the campus from downtown.
Demolition of a former downtown retail space was the first step in a Lee University campus expansion project. The former First Baptist Church sanctuary is in the background.
The location will also include a new Communication Arts Center, which will be the centerpiece of the expansion. Plans for the building and its exact placement on the site have yet to be finalized.
Two other buildings located on the site include a former downtown bank location and a portion of the retail building, which was preserved for offices of the university’s Division of Adult Learning. The two structures will also be razed prior to the completion of the master plan for the acreage scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2014.
Lee University President Dr. Paul Conn stated late last year that the project will integrate the campus of the old First Baptist Church of Cleveland into its campus footprint. In 2010, Lee purchased the contiguous six acres of property which included the sanctuary, educational building, several outbuildings and parcels. First Baptist built a new campus on the northern part of town and moved to the new location in September 2010. The expansion plan will include the renovation of the main sanctuary building into a music and performance hall.
“We are studying other universities which have recently remodeled old churches into performance venues,” Conn stated at the time of the announcement. “The old First Baptist sanctuary is a classic, handsome building, and it is important to us that this familiar structure not be altered unnecessarily. There are some changes we will make, mostly inside, which will make it more suitable for larger musical events. On the outside, we will remove the steeple and replace it with a cupola which will more faithfully reflect an academic style of building.”
The educational wing of the former First Baptist building is being used for a campus childcare center and additional classroom space for one of the university’s academic departments.
–Cameron Fisher
