The 12-story Wilder Tower and the adjoining Brister Library complex are undergoing a multi-million dollar facelift. When completed, the former library will serve as the new hub for student services.
The former library is located just east of Patterson Hall and is currently only skeletal in form.
The Ned McWherter library was approved in 1989 and completed in 1994, leaving the older Brister repository largely unused.
The University secured the funding to complete the $12 million project in 1996 to gut the two buildings’ interiors in an effort to combine and overhaul the two facilities to enhance campus efficiency and convenience.
“The renovated Brister Facility will be a great asset to The University, offering a changing face to the 21st century,” said Jim Hellums, assistant vice president of the Physical Plant and Planning department at The University of Memphis.
The 200,000-square-foot building, which will be renamed the Brister Facility, is expected to be completed in 2003 and will replace the offices in the Administration Building.
The renovated Brister Facility will allow for more space and prevent cramping during the peak registration periods.
Officials hope the building will become the hub of student support services such as registration, counseling, the bursar’s office, financial aid, human resources and other student affairs.
Students would not have to zig-zag around campus in order to simply enroll, making the Brister Facility a “one-stop shop” for students.
Departments slated to be moved into the new facility will begin moving around Christmas 2002 and be finished by Spring 2003.
Some students suspect these projects are funded by consistent tuition increases. However, University officials maintain the state is responsible for the campus improvement projects.
Tony Poteet, the assistant vice president of Campus Planning and Design, says the $12 million budget is one specifically approved for the Brister project by the state, and the money cannot be used for any other purpose other than the Brister Facility itself.
Jim Hellums, assistant vice president of The Physical Plan and Planning, says the former tower was originally built in 1965 and was used for book storage. It was reportedly an “unsafe” and isolated facility with no windows and a dungeon-like atmosphere.
The renovated building will have an updated look that will include new windows and a new roof design.
Meanwhile, the Administration Building will remain functional for both faculty and staff.
