Western Kentucky University is expanding its farm footprint as university officials purchase a piece of property near the university farm.

WKU will spend $365,000 from the university’s reserve fund for the 24 acres of land on Bennett Lane. It’s surrounded by the university farm on three sides and Natcher Parkway on one side.

“This is a piece of property that we have surrounded for many, many years,” President Gary Ransdell said.

A log house, a cottage, a barn and a wood-frame house and garage sit on the property, which was privately owned. Officials plan to keep the buildings, which are in good shape, and restore the log house to serve as an agriculture showcase, said Blaine Ferrell, dean of the Ogden College of Science and Engineering.

Faculty Regent Patricia Minter questioned whether officials were confident they could afford the land in the midst of a sour economic climate.

Despite a bad economy, it’s an opportunity the university could not pass up, Ransdell said.

“We would be making a significant mistake if we let it (slip) into others’ hands,” he said.

Construction projects

It’s been an active summer for maintenance crews and construction workers at WKU.

“We always have very busy summers,” said Bryan Russell, WKU director of planning, design and construction, “but this summer has been more busy than usual.”

Russell gave an update on some projects that crews are completing.

The most visible project is the steam line repairs. Steam lines in five locations have completely failed, Russell said.

“They were catastrophic,” he said.

Workers are completing a total of 80 renovation projects, which range from installing new carpet to a complete renovation of the common areas in Grise Hall.

“You can see the ceilings, how dirty and grungy,” Russell said, showing a photo of the areas before renovations. “We should be proud of each of our buildings as we go in.”

The shell of the new 26,000-square-foot music hall is visible. Workers are replacing the roof on the Environmental Sciences and Technology building, which can be an in-depth process of looking at new roofing requirements and codes, Russell said.

“We have done a very good job over the last 10 years of tackling things (such as new roofs) that are out of sight and out of mind,” he said.

Workers replaced several windows at Helm Library, which were rusted and dated. They resurfaced College Heights Boulevard, fixing bad water pipes and places where the road had structural fatigue. That section of roadway, once a one-way street, is now two-way, Russell said.

“We had gotten to such a poor shape at the top of the hill,” he said.

Crews also are finishing work on Creason parking lot, repaving and repairing the lot, creating a new parking layout and relocating the lighting.

Officials also began rock wall restoration this summer. Over the next few summers, crews will fix the rock walls that line campus sidewalks and embankments. Many of those walls are old and crumbling. Also, some sidewalk and step repairs were completed this summer, Russell said.

The board also:

• Approved a Master of Music degree.

• Approved minors in nutritional and food chemistry and teaching English as a second language.

• Approved certificates in drinking water operations, data analysis using SAS and long-term care administration.