Construction Underway on Ferguson Student Union at atu

From Arkansas Tech University

Arkansas Tech University (Kinco is the CM/GC.) will begin construction of Ferguson Student Union on its Russellville campus after the ATU Board of Trustees accepted the guaranteed maximum price for building the facility during its meeting on Thursday, June 20.

Kinco Constructors submitted a final price of $33,946,865 for the project. That figure includes the cost of demolishing the Administration Building and Tomlinson Hall, constructing Ferguson Student Union, and developing the parking lot on the south side of the new building.

Among the amenities the 68,000-square foot Ferguson Student Union will provide are student meeting spaces, lounge spaces for students to enjoy during their free time, fast casual dining, an e-sports gaming lab, basketball courts, a location to check out outdoor recreation gear and workout areas for cardiovascular and strength fitness training.

It is anticipated that construction of the Ferguson Student Union will begin during the summer of 2024 and that the facility will open in 2026.

Ferguson Student Union is named for Jimmy Ferguson, his wife Cindi and their family. Mr. Ferguson served on the ATU staff from 1975-94, advancing to the rank of assistant vice president and dean of students.

While at ATU, Mr. Ferguson was elected president of the Arkansas College Personnel Association in 1982. He served the National Association for Campus Activities as the chairman of the board of directors. He held an appointment by Gov. Bill Clinton to the Arkansas Governor’s Advisory Council on Volunteerism.

Since completing his service to ATU and entering the private sector, Mr. Ferguson and his family have owned and operated more than 30 McDonald’s franchises in central Texas over a span of three decades. He has held numerous national and regional leadership positions with the McDonald’s organization.

Our local design partner on this project is MBL Architecture.