Story by: Ella Kelley, FS Communications Student Assistant
In August, the University of Tennessee broke ground on the Haslam College of Business expansion. The new building will support the college’s growth, as Haslam is currently the largest college at UT in undergraduate enrollment. The process leading up to this groundbreaking has been a long, complicated journey that required much more than just tearing down buildings. Before the existing facilities could be torn down to create space for the new Haslam building, the departments housed in those buildings needed a new home. Facilities Services worked hard in collaboration with those departments and the College of Business to orchestrate the moves and renovation processes with a continual focus on customer satisfaction and consideration for project timelines.
The home of the new Haslam building is where Dunford, Greve, and Henson Halls stood for decades. Henson Hall opened in 1930, Greve in 1955, and Dunford in 1963. These buildings sat in a horseshoe shape across Volunteer Boulevard from the current Haslam College of Business building and Stokely Management Center (SMC). 31 departments lived in Dunford, Greve, and Henson Halls. The College of Social Work, the history department, Big Orange Pantry, and the Student Success Center are among the departments and initiatives housed in those buildings.
The process of moving departments out of those buildings into new homes was like a giant puzzle with many moving parts. Known internally as the Surge Project, this initiative required quick thinking and intensive creativity to meet short deadlines and keep the plan moving forward. In addition to the moves from Dunford, Greve, and Henson, some parts of SMC and Haslam have undergone renovations, which created an additional need for space.
Greta Buckman, a Project Manager for Facilities Services In-House Construction, was tasked with relocating several departments out of Greve and Dunford. She coordinated the majority of the on campus moves with the exception of those within the Stokely Management Center and Haslam College of Business Building. Barbara Tallent, the Facilities Services Design Project Manager for the new Haslam building, had the responsibility of coordinating off-campus moves, SMC and Haslam moves, design of the new Cherokee Mills suites, and furniture assignments and procurement.
The moving process involved the challenging task of finding spaces for people to move into. Once determined, the Project Managers began renovations and other preparations to those spaces. This process involved preparing people to move, changing addresses for mail, getting new keys, transferring phones and data, and moving furniture, all with as little disruption to the affected departments as possible
The biggest challenge in this project surrounded the many moving parts involved. It was a complex process to time renovations and moves while not adversely affecting the Haslam construction schedule. Along with the physical challenges, Buckman and Tallent also had the task of easing staff and faculty out of offices some had been in for years. The project managers worked hard and creatively to provide improvements through furniture, upgraded finishes, or added square footage.
“In the end, many of the departments involved, moved into spaces with better interiors, new and more functional furnishings and work environments they needed but didn’t previously have ” Tallent said.
The moves began in July of 2023, after extensive planning and preparation. Buckman’s first groups moved to a Middlebrook Pike location and the UT Conference Center that summer.
“While the planning, design and logistics were accomplished in the spring, the big push was from July to the middle of January, when classes started back. To minimize disruption, we did a lot of the moves over winter break. The Facilities Services Moving & Events Services Team were tireless in their efforts to meet the schedule.” Tallent said.
Though winter break provided the best opportunity for the moves, it also came with its own challenges. Some staff were concerned about the possible disruption to final exams, using their time off to move, or having their belongings moved while away and establishing their new office when they returned, but Facilities Services worked alongside them to make the process as efficient as possible. A winter snowstorm in January created yet another hurdle to overcome.
According to Tallent, Facilities Services did most of the work on this project in-house, including the planning, finding spaces, space management, design, and move coordination.
“It’s really a good story about in-house talent and collaboration,” Tallent said.
Maria Martinez, the Facilities Services Director of Space Management, was instrumental in providing resources and information for the renovations and the moves. Her efforts kept those involved apprised of the schedules and expectations.
“It was probably the most complicated planning project that we’ve had,” Martinez said.
Many different groups within UT were involved or had a stake in this project, from the departments that had to move, to the groups organizing the moves, to those orchestrating the renovations and prepping the space for moves.
While there were certainly challenges throughout the project, it also provided a great recycling opportunity. Facilities Services was able to hold onto furniture and equipment accumulated from other moves and the demolition of Dunford, Greve and Henson.
“We were able to assess and reuse furnishings, often improving what many departments previously had, for little to no cost and with the added benefit of keeping material out of landfills. At the end of the project, we were even able to provide furniture to other areas of campus which could not have otherwise afforded new furniture,” Tallent shared.
With the exception of one department, the Haslam New Building expansion moves are now complete thanks to the hard work and determination of the Facilities Services team. As a result, many of those relocated in the move are now in better spaces than those they left. While the groundbreaking at Haslam took place in August, there’s still a lot of work to be done. Construction is well underway, and the Haslam College of Business New Building is projected to be completed in Fall 2027.