Sioux Center, Iowa — A Sioux Center institution of higher learning is buzzing with equipment this summer with seven major construction and renovation projects taking place.
Dordt University’s vice president for operations, Howard Wilson, says that this is probably the most intense period of construction at Dordt in recent history. He says they are thankful for their many construction and design partners, who are working very hard to make these great places for Dordt students to learn and live.
Dordt officials tell us that on Highway 75, at Dordt’s Agriculture Stewardship Center, the trusses and siding are erected on the new monoslope livestock building, slated to be home to 50 beef cattle and 75 dairy heifers this fall. The space will provide agriculture majors with a new lab and opportunities for additional hands-on experiences.
They say that across the street from the university, the American State Bank Sports Complex, the indoor turf facility, has broken ground with dirt work completed by Boer and Sons, metal framing for the headhouse going up, and piers being placed for the dome foundation. The project is scheduled to be done in late fall, and in use early in 2023. The space will provide a place for local community and recreation leagues to enjoy, opportunities for regional athletic tournaments, and space for Dordt’s softball, soccer, baseball, and football teams.
On Dordt’s main campus, dirt is being moved and cement poured for a new parking lot located behind the Kuyper and Southview Apartments, near the soccer field. They tell us it will provide a new space to park for students who previously parked in the All Seasons Center and B.J. Haan parking lots. Due to the construction of the American State Bank Sports Complex across the street from Dordt, the overflow parking in the prior spaces will be limited.
Dordt officials say they are also renovating the basement of Covenant Hall, the women’s dorm on the east end of campus, providing bedrooms for 16 students. The construction includes adding egress windows and building new rooms and student lounge space. Due to record enrollment in the 2021-22 academic year, the university is creating this additional space for the increase in on-campus residents.
Dordt is renovating the former KDCR radio building into office spaces for the football program. The building will house the coaches and be a space that welcomes numerous recruits who visit throughout the year. KDCR was decommissioned and the frequency was sold to a contemporary Christian music radio programming service in May of 2021.
According to Dordt officials, their Recreation Center is being renovated, which includes a new track surface, new divider curtains, resurfacing of existing playing surfaces, new paint, a new check-in desk, branding, and LED lighting throughout the space.
The university is also renovating part of the lower level of the library for a new Academic Enrichment Center, which will include office space, tutoring spaces, and collaborative spaces to enhance student learning. This updated area will provide academic support for students of all majors.
In the B.J. Haan Auditorium, Dordt’s Casavant organ is being renovated, with new pipes being installed. Dordt has seen increased support of the church music and organ program, and in the spring of 2022 had 16 students taking organ lessons.
