Michigan State University will hold grand opening ceremonies for the newly designed Morrill Plaza on Tuesday at the site located at the corner of East and West Circle Drives.
The event is at 10 a.m. and will feature a host of dignitaries, including MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, Acting Provost June Youatt and members of the MSU Board of Trustees.
The plaza, located at the site where Morrill Hall stood for more than 100 years, will honor the heritage and history of the Morrill Act, as well as the history of women and their role in the early years of the university. Constructed in 1900, Morrill Hall first served as a women’s residence hall.
The grand opening also will feature the unveiling of a kiosk that contains two touchscreen panels that will include information about the university’s most prominent faculty.
Last year Morrill Hall was vacated and demolished, after it was determined that the building had suffered irreparable deterioration.
As a result, it was decided that reconstruction and restoration of the facility would not be economically feasible. The academic units that were housed in Morrill Hall have since moved to locations in Wells Hall and the Old Horticulture Building.