By Brienna Williams | On March 31st at 1:30 p.m. Howard Payne will be breaking ground on Old Main Park to begin building “the new front door to the university” according to Howard Payne President, Dr. Cory Hines. He is referring to the 2.5 million dollar project that will soon be the Don Newbury Welcome Center.
In November 2019, Howard Payne students received a campus-wide email informing them of several new campus construction projects, including the building of a new welcome center.
The welcome center will house the office of admissions, a professional media room, a large foyer, and a circle drive in front with a patio space on the back of the building that looks toward the Mabee Center.
This will be the first new building built on Howard Payne’s campus since 2001.
“I love where our admissions office is now and they do a wonderful job, but think how much easier it will be to recruit new students with a brand new, state-of-the-art facility as this will be the first impression students get when they step on campus,” said Dr. Hines.
The construction of the welcome center will officially begin this summer. The building is scheduled to be completed in August of 2021. Dale Meinecke, vice president for development, is pleased with the progress.
“We are excited that the construction is nearly fully funded through the generous gifts of HPU alumni and friends. There is still opportunity to support this important project by visiting our giving page, www.hputx.edu/give, and designating a gift for the Don Newbury Welcome Center,” said Meinecke.
Howard Payne Transfer Admissions Counselor and Mobile Go Coordinator, David Williams, agreed that the new center will be an asset to the university.
“Part of the college experience, for students, is the environment in which they live during these years. The attractiveness of the campus is very important in a student’s decision. I am especially excited, with a new welcome center Howard Payne will be able to show who we are as a higher education institution that is dedicated to excellence!”
As people drive down Austin Avenue, they will see the progress being made on the construction of the welcome center. Dr. Hines hopes that the new building will gain excitement, not only on campus among students, alumni, faculty and staff but also in the community.
University leadership is currently working with the architects to create the blueprints of the building.
Dr. Hines’s vision for prospective students is that they will walk through it and think, “I really want to go to school here.” He believes that this could impact the lives of students while they’re at Howard Payne.