Construction workers armed with buckets of black paint, yellow DeWalt power drills and orange caulk guns hustled through hallways Wednesday to prepare the James B. Henry Center for Executive Development for its grand opening.
The $25 million, 96,000-square-foot center, located at 3535 Forest Road, is set to formally open its doors Friday.
Just inside those doors, final touches to the cherry wood paneling and high vaulted ceilings in the lobby were being completed as a gray granite countertop was clamped to a reception counter.
Robert Duncan, future dean of The Eli Broad College of Business and a Northwestern University professor, expects the center to benefit MSU students.
“Executives will come to the Henry Center, have a great experience, and they are going to go back to their companies and ask if they are recruiting at the Broad school,” he said. “The center creates an opportunity for the Broad college to partner up with other colleges in the university so we can do some joint programs.”
Duncan, who will address the campus community at Friday’s ceremony, said he was also involved in the development of such a center at Northwestern.
He said the center is a world-class facility that amazed him and his family.
“When my wife, Susan, went through the building a week ago, she was awestruck. She told our friends at Northwestern, ‘If you want to see a really great executive center, go to MSU,’” he said.
Duncan assumes his position as dean in January.
The center’s dining atrium, 21 break-out rooms and three of the four lecture halls will be ready for visitors Friday. Amenities like the bar, kitchen, health club and Forest Akers West Golf Course’s pro shop will be completed in the coming months.
Andy Bledsoe, who works in the existing pro shop, said he looks forward to the new facility.
“We could use more room, we are looking to have bag storage and other things most pro shops have,” the merchandise management junior said. “This shop is pretty old and doesn’t have all those amenities.”
The course will also be remapped, with holes 15 and six becoming holes one and 10 so golfers can start their rounds near the banquet center and snack bar.
“It will be a nice starting hole,” Bledsoe said. “There will be a nice huge drive on a par five to start the course off.”
The new facility and course will play host to next year’s Women’s NCAA Regional Tournament.
MSU Trustee Donald Nugent will represent the board Friday and speak about the center’s importance and ability to alleviate an overcrowded Kellogg Center.
“To be able to bring executives into a world-class center will strengthen the university and its prestige amongst executives throughout the country,” he said.
David Frayer, director of the center, said Friday’s event will consist of a ribbon-cutting ceremony and self-guided tours with the center’s staff, demonstrating the different technology and uses of the facility.
“Each of the different break-out rooms will be set up in a different configuration
