Georgia Southern University and Whiting-Turner Contracting Company celebrated the “Topping Out” milestone on the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center. The last/topmost piece of steel for the structure was signed for later placement on the facility.
Project Manager Daniel Dahm, Whiting-Turner shared some statistics about the construction project:
- 1,160 tons of steel have been placed
- 5,318 cubic yards of concrete have been poured
- 316 tons of rebar placed
- 12,000 cubic yards of dirt excavated
Mr. Dahm pointed out that much of the excavation of dirt was to place the Center at the corner of the South campus property at the request of Dr. Kyle Marrero, GS President.
Dr. Marrero followed by saying that indeed he wanted this building to be the visible and welcoming to all as it represents the impact and legacy of Jack and Ruth Ann Hill. He continued that this building will be one of the first buildings a student will visit as they begin their GS journey. It will serve a center for education, sports and entertainment for them. Then they will end their GS journey attending their graduation in this building.
At 95,000 square feet and 5,500 seats, the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center will be the largest event venue space between Savannah and Macon and will serve as the signature building on Georgia Southern’s south campus, fronting Veterans Memorial Parkway (US 301 bypass).
With an estimated total cost of $64.4 million, the center will be a multi-story complex that provides approximately 7,000 square feet of additional instructional space for the Waters College of Health Professions and provides more than a 50% increase in seating capacity in an arena that will be the new home court for Georgia Southern Eagles NCAA basketball games.
The building is named for Jack (‘66) and Ruth Ann (‘73, ‘90, ‘91) Hill. Hill was a senator for 30 years, serving as chairman of several crucial committees, including Appropriations, which has broad jurisdiction over legislation involving budgeting and spending state and federal funds.
With Hill’s support, Georgia Southern reached new heights as an institution serving the southeast region and the state of Georgia. Hill was instrumental in helping the University expand its programs and build several new state-of-the-art facilities, including the Engineering and Research Building, which opened for classes in January 2021.
Hill’s wife of 48 years, Ruth Ann, focused her life on public education and retired as principal of Reidsville Elementary School.
