Mercer unveils plans for $50M student life center

Construction is expected to begin in early 2027, with the new center scheduled to open for the fall 2028 semester.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT ) – For years, Mercer University students have gathered at the Connell Student Center to eat, study and spend time with friends.

Now, the university is looking to build a new student center to carry on that tradition.

Mercer unveiled renderings Tuesday for the new student life center. Mercer University President Dr. Penny Elkins says she is proud to have the project as one of her first major initiatives on campus.

“I really wanted to make this special for students,” Elkins said. “It really is in the center of our campus. It is the heartbeat of our campus. It is a place where students do gather and feel a sense of belonging here at Mercer.”

The facility is part of Mercer’s Building for Bears initiative. Elkins says students were involved in the planning process and helped shape what they wanted the new space to provide.

Sara Yarahmadi, a Mercer student and member of the Mercer Experience Team, says students had the opportunity to share their ideas with university leadership.

“Me and my friends got to talk to the leadership,” she said. “We got to talk about what we wanted, what we saw as the new potential for a student life center.”

Yarahmadi says the Connell Student Center was an important part of students’ lives, making expectations for the new facility high.

“Connell used to be a very big part of our lives,” she said. “We spent a lot of hours a day eating there, having our community there, so the expectations for this new student life center, I would say, is really high.”

The new center will include spaces for students to eat, relax and connect, along with an outdoor entertainment and movie plaza.

Mercer says the project will cost around $50 million, with a $5 million commitment already made toward the project.

Construction on the new student life center is expected to begin early next year. Mercer plans to open the new center for the fall 2028 semester.