The renovation and upgrading of a historic structure on the campus of Western New Mexico State University may begin in earnest, depending upon the fortunes of a coming bond election.
General Obligation Bond C, which will provide $215.6 million for a variety of higher education facility projects statewide, will also include funding for the $2 million renovation and upgrading of the Graham Gymnasium building on the main WNMU campus in Silver City.
That structure, at 1000 W. College Avenue, is one of the few buildings from the school’s original campus that is still in use. Built in 1936 and designed by well-known architect John Gaw Meem in the Mission Revival Style, the structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The General Obligation Bond would altogether provide an allocation of some $4 million to WNMU and will also fund improvements to a well-used throughfare in the middle of the campus.
Funding will also be devoted to the $2 million completion of the off-campus Deming Learning Center on West Florida Avenue in the city of Deming, which focuses on workforce training. That facility will see some parking lot construction as well as the installation of data cable infrastructure.
By Garry Boulard
