HATTIESBURG – A new $450,000 Mississippi Department of Transportation grant will make Pearl River Community College’s Poplarville campus just a little easier to navigate for students and alumni who visit the campus.
“The grant is basically going to help make our campus a bit safer for pedestrians that come to visit us,” said PRCC President William Lewis. “One of our goals has been to enhance our grounds. This will help us expand our courtyard area.”
The money, awarded by the MDOT via a federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant, will be used to enhance the commons area right in the heart of the campus. That means extending the campus’s courtyard area near Crosby Hall, while adding more landscaping, lighting and seating.
There also will be a pedestrian walkway from new parking areas currently under construction to the center of campus.
Southern Transportation Commissioner Tom King presented the check to Lewis on Thursday at the Woodall Advanced Technology Center in Hattiesburg.
The grant is an 80-20 match, with PRCC adding around $110,000 to the project. Construction will begin in about six months. Dr. Lewis said the funds come from the school’s capital improvement funds, provided by the county support, and not general operational funds.
“In presenting this funding to Pearl River Community College, we are showing our support for the staff and students who call this community college home,” said King. “This roadway upgrade will greatly enhance the experience of traveling through campus, whether by vehicle or by foot and bicycle. We are proud to partner with the school on this important project.”
“A lot of these schools are trying to get vehicle traffic out of the middle of their campuses,” explained King, calling it a “safety issue.” “We’re just happy to be able to award the funding to them.”
PHOTO CAPTION:
HATTIESBURG – Southern Transportation Commissioner Tom King presented a $450,000 check to Pearl River Community College President Dr. William Lewis Thursday, June 27, at PRCC’s Woodall Advanced Technology Center. The money, awarded by the Mississippi Department of Transportation via a federal Transportation Alternatives grant, will be used to enhance and pedestrian common areas on the Poplarville campus. On hand for the presentation were, from left, Dr. Adam Breerwood, PRCC vice president for the Poplarville campus; H.R. Nobles of Petal, a member of the PRCC board of trustees; Dr. Lewis, Mr. King, Lee Bell, director of the Woodall Center; and Dr. Cecil Burt, PRCC vice president for Forrest County operations.
