Nicholls State plans $20M in upgrades to campus buildings

THIBODAUX (AP) — Nicholls State University hopes to complete and begin more than $20 million in upgrades to its campus in 2015.
Easily the biggest project is construction of the new Chef John Folse Culinary Institute.
Vice President of Facilities Mike Davis said the 33,000-square-foot building, at the edge of the Nicholls campus near Louisiana Highway 1, was scheduled to be completed in December but isn’t expected to open until late February or early March.
“Our culinary program has done exceptionally well, and we haven’t even been recruiting students. Once that expands, we’re looking to almost double enrollment in a couple of years. The addition will be exciting for the university and another area we can excel at in the state,” Davis said.
Officials broke ground in March 2013 and construction began last September. The $12.6 million facility on eight acres includes four teaching kitchens, a demonstration room, food-storage facilities and a bistro to give students real-life experience.
Nicholls President Bruce Murphy has targeted the program for expansion and hopes to double the enrollment within two years. In September, the University Council, an advisory committee of faculty and staff members, labeled the institute as a strength as Murphy begins to lay out the Nicholls’ strategic plan.
Expected to start shortly after the completion of the cooking school are renovations to Talbot Hall.
Talbot is not only used by students but by high schools; the public uses it quite a bit. This is going to be a nice renovation,” Davis said.
Construction for the $6.8 million project is expected to begin in late spring and will take about a year to complete.
The Mary M. Danos Theater, which opened in 1971, will get new seating, speakers, lighting, curtains, flooring, walls and ceiling. Accommodations for handicapped visitors will also be made to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.