Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – The Arkansas State University Board of Trustees, in a special-called meeting Friday, approved revised budgets for two upcoming projects on the A-State campus.
The board unanimously approved a revised budget for the first phase of construction for the Career Readiness Education and Skills Training (CREST) Center. When completed, the center will be around 70,000 square feet.
| READ MORE: Closing the Gap: How CREST is Fueling Northeast Arkansas’ Industrial Expansion
It is a collaborative effort between A-State, ASU-Newport, and Arkansas Northeastern College. It aims to provide job-ready workers and credentials with a focus on advanced automated manufacturing, steel manufacturing, and food processing.
According to the resolution, during bidding for the project, system officials found that the cost of the project had increased by around $3 million. The resolution said the increase is due to construction costs being higher than anticipated, as well as architectural and engineering fees and updated estimates for movable equipment.
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A-State is working on acquiring financing for the project through a New Markets Tax Credits allocation, which, if awarded, will be used to reduce debt financing for the first phase of construction.
The project will now be funded with $2.5 million in institutional reserves, $7.5 million from the Arkansas Department of Commerce’s HIRED Grant Program, $1.5 million in private/public funds, and $4.5 million in loan proceeds. The entire project is estimated to cost $18 million.
The board also unanimously approved an amended budget for A-State’s upcoming Indoor Baseball Development and Training Center.
The 40,000 square foot, two-level building, which A-State Athletics announced plans for in October 2025, will have a full turf infield, three batting cages, three pitching tunnels, a weight room, coach and support staff office space, and premium seating. The ASU System Board of Trustees approved construction of the facility in December 2025.
| READ MORE: A-State breaks ground on baseball Player Development Center
According to the resolution presented during the meeting, the budget was increased to accommodate changes found during final design and construction, as well as any unforeseen site conditions, additional project requirements, and increasing construction costs.
The facility will be financed through an $8.5 million loan obtained through the Red Wolves Foundation and in partnership with Centennial Bank. The loan was originally $5 million, resulting in a $3.5 million loan increase. The resolution noted that A-State is pursuing private support to decrease financing.
In other business, the board approved the following A-State specific resolutions:
- Renaming Innovation Park on the A-State campus as Dr. Less Wyatt Park of Innovation
- Naming the equine teaching barn on campus as the Dash Goff Equine Center – Nodouble Barn
- Naming the main workforce training space in the CREST Center as the Hytrol Workforce Training Room
- Granting City Water and Light of Jonesboro a permanent 20-foot-wide sanitary sewer line easement
The next Board of Trustees meeting is set for Oct. 16 at 10 a.m. on the A-State campus.
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