Virginia Military Institute has recently begun its first major renovations since the Civil War era and the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets is planning their own upgrade as well.
The VMI barracks, which have become a historical landmark for Virginia?s first military school, are the centerpiece for the Institute and have not been added to since 1949 when a new building was constructed called the New Barracks. This upgrade will be the third since the rebuilding of the barracks after the Civil War.
?The cadets are currently living in extremely small rooms holding three to five people,? said Lt. Col. Stewart MacInnis the associate director of communications marketing at VMI. ?They put their bunks up during the day to have room to move around.?
The New Barracks are expected to take up to two years build. The procedure for the renovations of the old building will consist of cadets being moved into the new building to allow for the renovation of the old one, which will take two more years. The new building will hold approximately 1,500 cadets, 200 more than the current building. Because life in the barracks is a tradition at VMI, not much will change on the inside in terms of living conditions.
To make room for the new barracks, Lejeune Hall, the current student center, has been torn down and will be incorporated in the new building.
VMI has also started the renovation of old buildings containing classrooms for the ROTC to accommodate for all four branches of the military. In addition they are in the process of renovating their one dining hall, which will now have air conditioning.
?Currently there is only room for two branches of the ROTC,? MacInnis said.
Later this month, the institute will break ground for a leadership and ethics center, which will include an auditorium, banquet facilities and meeting areas for conferences and classes. There is currently no auditorium on campus that can hold the entire cadet population, MacInnis said.
The athletic facilities have also been scheduled for renovations. The institute has recently completed a $12 million renovation of the football field that includes a new scoreboard and will be renovating the baseball field in time for the spring season.
The renovations will cost an estimated $300 million, MacInnis said.
Funding for these upgrades to the institute is coming from private donations from alumni and state funds. All of the renovations are aimed at improving VMI?s role in educating cadets in leadership in addition to preparing the institute for its bicentennial in 2039.
So far, the reactions to these renovations have been met with a variety of opinions. Some believe that they will hinder the discipline and traditional culture of the institute, while others show optimism toward them by donating money.
The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets is also going to be undergoing some renovations within the next few years. Between the years 2008 and 2010 Lane Hall, the home for Tech?s ROTC will undergo a $12.7 million project that will add a new classroom and bring all branches of the ROTC together.
?With the ROTC staff and the corps leaders together there will be much better cooperation and coordination,? said Major General Jerrold Allen, the commandant of Tech?s corps of cadets. ?Time is a precious commodity and anything we do to bring the two together will allow for better progression.?
The corps will also have dorm and classroom renovations.
?The cadets are currently living in bad facilities,? Allen said. ?The fourth floor of Femoyer Hall is cramped and impossible to reach for handicapped parents. Classes are currently held in the military building, which is an old industrial building.?