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Auburn will soon bid farewell to Spidle Hall, the home of Human Sciences education on campus for more than six decades.

The university’s Board of Trustees agreed at its annual meeting on June 6 to demolish the 51,000-square-foot building, making way for a new state-of-the-art home for the College of Human Sciences on Mell Street.

For quite some time, the college has needed a building with adequate space to house its programming, classes, labs and offices. When Spidle was constructed in 1962, it contained all facets of the then-School of Home Economics.

With significant growth in student enrollment and research activity in the past 20 years, the college has had to operate beyond Spidle. It now has a presence in eight buildings across campus, highlighting the need for a more adequate facility.

Trustees agreed, approving the initiation of a new building project last September. In November, they named Perkins & Will of Atlanta as the project architect and confirmed that the new home for the college would be called the Barbara Drummond Thorne Academic and Research Facility.

Thorne’s three daughters made a lead gift to honor their late mother, a civic leader with interests in health, wellness, nutrition and well-being.

Demolition of Spidle is expected to start this fall and be completed in January. The estimated $2.7 million cost will be covered by university funds.

This summer, Human Sciences faculty and staff will vacate Spidle and temporarily relocate to the Haley Center — in spaces previously used by the College of Education — until the new building is complete, potentially by the summer of 2027.

Student request

Also, later this year, a sidewalk will be built along Wire Road from Lem Morrison Drive to West Samford Avenue.

Trustees approved the project, a proposal from the Student Government Association (SGA), to enhance pedestrian safety and connectivity for the campus and community.

SGA president Owen Beaverstock noted that a sidewalk would benefit the students who regularly utilize this portion of Wire to access the intramural fields, fraternity row and the Jane B. Moore Softball Complex.

Construction is expected to begin after the fall semester. The $1.5 million cost will be financed by a grant from the Alabama Department of Transportation and university reserve funds.

Enhanced controls

A major addition is also coming to the Auburn University Regional Airport, as trustees granted final approval for the construction of a new air traffic control tower.

Airport officials pushed for the addition following a sharp increase in takeoffs and landings in recent years, driven by the university’s Professional Flight program, the Air Transportation Department, non-university-based aircraft and daily transient traffic.

The new tower will enhance safety and efficiency by providing essential coordination for incoming and departing flights. The $9 million project will be funded by a combination of federal and state grants, along with university and local contributions.

Barge Design Solutions of Dothan, Alabama, was previously named the project engineer. Plans call for a 91-foot-tall tower to be located north of the existing terminal, featuring a 360-degree observation deck located 73 feet above ground level.

In other matters, the board:

  • Named McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture of Atlanta to serve as the architect for the renovation of space in the Central Dining Commons to add a new dining venue.
  • Approved PricewaterhouseCoopers as independent auditors for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. 
  • Named Jimmy Sanford, a 1968 and 1971 graduate, as president pro tempore for 2025-26. The ceremonial passing of the gavel marked the end of Trustee Quentin Riggins’ time in the role. Several trustees expressed appreciation for his leadership and service. Riggins is currently in his second term as a trustee in an at-large seat. 
  • Learned of the renaming of the following degree programs:
    • In the College of Sciences and Mathematics, the Applied Discrete Mathematics option is now the Applied Mathematics – Data Science option, and the Bachelor of Science in biomedical sciences – interdisciplinary health sciences is now called the Bachelor of Science in biomedical sciences – health sciences.
    • In the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, the Bachelor of Science in geospatial and environmental informatics is now called the Bachelor of Science in geospatial information science.
    • In the College of Education, the doctorate in rehabilitation and special education is now the doctorate in special education.
  • Also received annual reports on the university’s real estate holdings and its timber harvest revenue, as well as an update on its endowment portfolio. 
  • Recognized Head Coach Bruce Pearl, his staff and the men’s basketball team on their historic season.

For Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM), the board agreed to initiate a project to construct a new locker room facility. The single-story, 14,000-square-foot building will support multiple athletic teams — women’s and men’s soccer, women’s softball and others — with locker rooms, administrative space, laundry facilities and a multipurpose recruiting area. AUM will finance the project.