Liberty Progresses With Major Campus Renovations Over the Summer

This year has brought about many changes for schools, jobs, and individuals.

Liberty students returned to changes on campus. Students, staff and visitors at Liberty University can look forward to updates to Liberty’s campus this fall with the upcoming completion of the Vines Center roof renovation and the East Campus parking garage.

With construction completed by the end of October, the Vines Center roof renovation will offer multipurpose use for Convocation, concerts, campus community and religious services, according to Vice President of Major Construction, Dan Deter. 

“We’re morphing the Vines Center into a more concert friendly venue and away from athletics with the new Liberty Arena coming online,” Deter said.

The new renovations include a structural steel roof package that replaces the old dome, standing seam roofing to match other campus venues, new exterior wall siding, sound panels and a multipurpose floor, according to Deter. Because these renovations will provide better acoustics and temperature and weather tightness, the updated Vines Center will allow  Liberty to open the campus to new events and opportunities.

“Liberty can now attract bigger-name concerts that needed a higher caliber facility, something we could not provide before,” Deter said.

Noah Haneman, a Liberty University senior and campus tour guide, agreed the renovation was necessary and will be a positive addition to student life.

“It will enhance the student experience during Convocation, Campus Community, and concerts,” Haneman said.

Another project expected to be completed this fall is the nine-level parking garage on East Campus, which will hold a capacity of 2,100 cars. Deter said construction is 95% complete and is scheduled to be completed by the end of September. The parking garage will allow users to have convenient access to main campus.

“It is designed specifically to get end users down to the tunnel to access main campus,” he said.

Deter said they wanted to respond to students’ need for more parking with an option near campus because the current “satellite parking lot is about an additional 5-10-minute walk.”

“The East Campus parking garage offers the closest parking to main campus without being on main campus,” Deter said. “It is a way to offer attractive parking to students and events on campus while redirecting traffic off of main campus.”

Haneman believes this parking area will ease students’ worries about where to find parking when arriving on campus. 

“I’m sure this will alleviate a lot of stress,” Haneman said. “It will be a lot more convenient for students and especially commuters.” 

Along with the East Campus parking garage, Deter said they are “upgrading the security of the tunnel through installing better cameras and increased lighting for the safety of the students and end users of the garage for events held on campus.”

Deter said that the Planning and Construction Department also has plans to improve parking on the front side of DeMoss Hall in the future.

Haneman sees these construction projects as positive additions to Liberty’s campus.

“It can be evidence of how much God has blessed our school and how much of a blessing it is that we are continuing to grow at such a fast pace,” Haneman said.  

Mia Nelson is a News Reporter.