Welcome to construction, don’t mind the Auburn

While another semester is in full swing, so is the infamous construction in Auburn. It seems like everywhere we turn – literally – there is something being added to the Auburn campus.

Last year, we received the largest score board in college history, an on-campus Chicken Salad Chick and a repaving of downtown. And in case you haven’t noticed the mounds of dirt, construction equipment and the re-routing of all Mell Street Transits, the new $33 million Mell Street Classroom Project is projected to finish in fall of 2017.

Adding to the list of renovations on campus, the Athletic Department is seeking approval for a new addition to the north end zone of Jordan-Hare Stadium. Though the plans are still under review, the total cost of the project is estimated to cost $145 million and would include new locker rooms, a video board and additional suite seating.

Unfortunately, the inconvenience of construction doesn’t stop on campus. The plans for restoring the Gay Street parking deck have been approved, which means Auburn can expect a five-level parking deck, a new hotel and a small grocery.

But the big project is a sensitive subject to those who love the small town vibe Auburn radiates.

Although the construction on and off campus seems excessive, Auburn University and the City of Auburn are simply doing their best to uphold our title as the “loveliest village on the plains.”