Thursday, May 26, 2022, Georgia Southern hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the 95,000-square-foot Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center.
The center is named in honor of the late Senator Jack Hill and his wife of 46 years, Ruth Ann Hill. Both are Georgia Southern graduates.
Below is a live stream of the ceremony:
Ceremony speakers included:
- Kyle Marrero, Georgia Southern University President
- Sonny Perdue, USG Chancellor
- Congressman Rick Allen
- Congressman Buddy Carter
- Majority Leader Jon Burns, Georgia House
- Chairman Terry England, Georgia House Appropriations
- Lance Hill, representing the Hill family
- Barry Joyner, Ph.D., Dean of the Waters College of Health Professions
- Brian Burg, men’s basketball coach
- Hannah Fuller, women's basketball player and rising sophomore nutrition and food science major
The Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center, serving as the signature building on Georgia Southern’s south campus in Statesboro, will be the largest event venue space between Savannah and Macon.
The center will be a multi-story complex that fills two vital University needs:
1) Approximately 7,000 square feet of additional instructional space for the Waters College of Health Professions, specifically for the sports and exercise psychology and sports management programs.
2) A multipurpose arena that can be utilized for large-scale events such as commencement ceremonies, speakers, concerts, job fairs and other University and community assemblies. The arena will be the new home court for Georgia Southern Eagles NCAA basketball games.
The total construction cost is estimated at just more than $50 million, while the total project budget is set at $64.46 million. Funding for the project comes from a combination of state and privately raised funds. Some site work has already begun but construction will not begin in earnest until this fall with a construction completion target of late 2024.
