The demolition of Mercer University’s Connell Student Center is now complete, with only rubble remaining, making way for a modern, newly reimagined gathering space that will enhance students’ living, dining and learning experiences on the Macon campus.
Wearing a hard hat and neon yellow safety vest, President Penny L. Elkins, Ph.D., stood just outside the construction zone on June 27. She watched as crews manning heavy equipment rammed the building and hydraulically chipped away at the concrete columns to assist the excavators in knocking down the walls of the 68-year-old building.
“Watching Connell — the heartbeat of Macon Mercer students’ campus experience — come down felt like a true full-circle moment,” President Elkins said. “I, like many other alumni, walked through its doors as a student with big dreams, and now I have the privilege of building on its legacy.”
The last piece of the building came down on June 29.
“Sheridan Construction is proud to support Mercer University as Mercer moves forward with the Connell demolition and the early steps toward a new student center,” said Christy Kovac, president and CEO of Sheridan Construction, which serves as the general contractor.
“Preparing this site is an important milestone, and we’re committed to managing the work safely, efficiently and in full alignment with Mercer’s vision for its campus,” she said. “Our team values this partnership deeply, and we look forward to continuing our decades-long work together to help shape spaces that serve Mercer students for generations to come.”
Now, the focus has turned to removing debris from the site. Materials will be separated for the landfill and recycling, said Alex Tinsley, project director at Sheridan Construction.
“We can separate the rebar from the concrete, take that concrete to another location, have that crushed and be able to reuse and recycle it — possibly even on this project,” he said.
Rebar and other metals can be recycled as well. Debris has been timed to be removed by mid-August to minimize disruption to campus life. The first day of class on the Macon campus is Aug. 18.
DLR Group, the project’s architect, is designing the new building with student input. It will house Mercer’s primary dining hall, common areas, meeting spaces and student affairs offices, with doors slated to open in fall 2028.
The Board of Trustees approved the project, known as Building for BEARS (Belong-Engage-Aspire-Relax-Savor), at its April 17 meeting on the Cecil B. Day Campus in Atlanta. Connell Student Center closed on May 15.
“Our vibrant new student life center will carry forward everything Connell meant to generations of Bears, and it is purposefully designed to inspire connection, foster belonging, and fully meet the evolving needs and aspirations of Mercerians for decades to come,” said President Elkins.
Visit buildingforbears.mercer.edu to learn more about the project, view a live video feed of the construction site, and find information about expanded dining options and student affairs office relocations.
