Construction begins at CSC's Sparks Hall

“This is a great day,” said Dr. Janie Park, CSC president. “It’s exciting to see this project begin.”

There has already been one surprise with the project. As Fuller Construction Co. began digging near the building with a trackhoe, workers discovered a concrete tunnel along the south end of building that would need to be removed. The tunnel, which had about four feet of clearance, was attached to the root cellar at the southeast corner of the building.

The $2.3 million project, which provides an upgrade to one of CSC’s oldest buildings and will free up other space for academic instruction, is expected to be completed slightly more than one year from now. When completed, the building will serve as headquarters for Chadron State’s administration, foundation and alumni services.

“It’s wonderful that we can preserve the history of this building, and yet renovate it to serve a new function,” Park said. “We are very fortunate that the state chose to provide the funds for this project.”

Sparks Hall was constructed in 1914, three years after the college opened, as a women’s dormitory and dining area. Since the 1930s when the Edna Work Hall and Crites Hall dormitories were built, Sparks Hall has been used for faculty and student housing. Its original cost was $27,257.

The current building has 9,690 square feet of floor space. The addition to the south, also three stories, will contain 5,975 square feet and include an elevator. The facility also will have a large patio for outdoor functions.

 

Photo information, clockwise, from top:

--Chadron State College President Janie Park is flanked by Blair Brennan, CSC facilities coordinator, and Rich Halverson, superintendent of Fuller Construction Co., for the ceremonial groundbreaking.

--Chadron State College President Janie Park used the groundbreaking as an opportunity to occupy the trackhoe.

--The architectural drawing of the completed addition at Sparks Hall.

 

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Contract approved for Sparks Hall project