Union University breaks ground on new dorms, classes start

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JACKSON, Tenn. (BP)—"Today in what seems almost beyond comprehension— two weeks and three days after a tornado destroyed large portions of this campus—we gather together to give thanks to God for a new beginning and the opportunity to build again," said Union University President David S. Dockery Feb. 22 at the groundbreaking for a new student housing complex.

Dockery, speaking at a chapel service Feb. 19 had noted: "We gather to not only continue to give thanks for God's providence and all that He has done for us in the aftermath of Feb. 5," when a tornado battered the campus, "but to set a course for the future of this university."

"We move forward together by the help and the grace of God. It is impossible for it to happen in any other way," Dockery said.

Union's new student housing complex will consist of 14 buildings that will house more than 700 students when completed no later than the spring 2009 semester. Initial plans call for half of the facility to open by Sept. 1, providing plenty of campus housing for new students enrolling at Union in the fall.

The two-story residence buildings will replace the old Watters and Hurt complexes, which housed about 700 students and sustained heavy damage from the tornado that caused an estimated $40 million in damage to the Jackson, Tenn., campus. None of the buildings in those two complexes was salvageable and the entire complexes were demolished during the week of Feb. 11.

Dockery said Union's circumstances reflected the biblical story of Nehemiah, who helped the Jews in Jerusalem rebuild the city's walls.

"The walls were crumbled, and the people wept," Dockery said "And our campus crumbled, and we wept."

But God's people came together, trusted the Lord to provide the resources, planned strategically and overcame disappointment, and completed the rebuilding project in 52 days—one of the most amazing architectural feats of the ancient Near East, Dockery said.

"The people realized that the work had been done with the help of our God," Dockery said. "And we embark today on a very aggressive plan to see at least portions of this new residence life facility completed by the fall of 2008, making it possible once again for us to experience a sense of community all over this campus."

The new student housing facilities will be located in the former location of the Watters and Hurt complexes.

The apartment-style rooms in the new housing complex will feature four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchenette and a washer/dryer in each suite. Each building in the complex will contain 40, 48 or 56 bedrooms. All bathrooms in the bottom-floor apartments will be reinforced to provide storm shelters for students.

Total cost for the project is estimated to exceed $30 million. Site work will begin Feb. 25, with actual construction scheduled to begin in early March.

Students returned to classes Feb. 20, two weeks after the tornado ripped through their campus.