Mississippi Delta Community College plans to begin renovation of the Stauffer-Wood Administration Building this fall.
The building, which was set ablaze during an apparent December 14, 2017 arson and burglary, sustained heavy fire damage, particularly on the south side of the building.
MDCC President Larry Nabors said that portion of the building is expected to be demolished and completely rebuilt, while other parts of the building will undergo repairs caused by smoke damage.
“The rest of the building will get a complete interior makeover due to the smoke damage,” Nabors told The E-T this week. That includes new floor tiles, ceiling tiles.
Nabors said he expects the project to cost north of $1 million when it is complete.
Nabors said the building will also get several code upgrades, including a new sprinkler system and a new HVAC system.
The building will also be equipped with a new security system that will include cameras, and some doors will be key card entry only, Nabors said.
Bids for the project will open on Aug. 30 at 2 p.m., according to the bid notice that appears on page 9.
Nabors said the overall look of the approximately 12,000-square-foot building will not change much.
Prior to the December fire, the building housed the school’s administration and communications department. Nabors said he expects that to remain the same when the project is complete.
The alleged arson and burglary took place in the early hours of that December morning.
Indianola resident and business owner Timothy Jones was arrested in January on charges related to the fire and burglary and is currently being housed in the Sunflower County Jail.
Jones had been free on bond since January, but he was taken back into custody this summer on charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The charges could go before a grand jury this fall, right around the time construction is set to begin on the Stauffer-Wood project.
Prior to the fire, Nabors had announced his retirement from MDCC and had planned to return to his home in Ripley, but after the incident, he announced he would stay on an extra year to see the college through the crisis.
Nabors said he still plans to retire next summer.
