The new gas station and car wash will be built on Service Road, east of the Laundry Building.

According to the meeting agenda, the project will cost $4.8 million. Construction is slated to commence in April, with substantial completion by August 2014 and full completion in August 2015.

After the meeting, Ron Flinn, the assistant vice president of the MSU Physical Plant, said the underground fuel tanks adjacent to the stadium pose a big safety concern.

If a person generated an explosion with the fuel station’s gasoline during a football game, MSU would have a “huge tragedy” on its hands, he said.

“I believe that was our number one concern we had on this campus for safety,” Flinn said, adding MSU Police would be the most knowledgeable on this topic. “It’s felt that if the terrorist has their way, that is the one thing they are going to do is (target) a big public assemblage of people, and that’s why Homeland Security said anything like this is not good, and it has to change.”

MSU police declined to comment on the potential security threat.

MSU Trustee Mitch Lyons said whether it be the potential of a terrorist action or even an accidental explosion or fire, the general consensus of the board is this much fuel in such close proximity to the stadium is dangerous and needs to change.

The issue was brought to the board’s attention in 2012, Lyons said, adding the DHS reported this concern more than two years ago.

“That certainly is an issue — if someone were to target and take advantage and put people in jeopardy,” Lyons said. “I don’t think that was a risk we wanted to take on.”

Bob Nestle, university engineer for the Physical Plant, said although there never has been a direct terrorist threat at MSU, this relocation is a method to ensure the MSU community’s safety.

“Quite frankly, the likelihood of (the stadium) being a terrorist attack target is quite remote, but you can’t say it’s zero,” Nestle said. “If there were a fire there during a football game, even if it were small, when you have 70,000-plus people in one spot, the chance of panic setting in is (big).”

Nestle said for more than 10 years, there has been talk about moving the entire automotive services operations, located at the stadium.

Although he could not recall the year DHS expressed concern about the fuel station’s location, he said it likely was brought up a few years ago.

Nestle said following the concern, the fuel station was a top priority to be relocated before other automotive operations.

At football games, Nestle said MSU has extra security and police patrols. But there is no special security in terms of protecting the fuel station, he said.

Comparative cultures and politics senior Megan Orth said she has gone to nearly every football game since her freshman year and has never considered this threat.

But when hearing about the DHS’s concern, she said she is at ease knowing MSU is taking action.

“I can definitely see whey they would want to move it now that (the) association has been linked,” Orth said. “Especially with increased security on college campuses in general, it makes sense they would want to take as many precautions as possible.”