MTSU broke ground on a new $39.6 million building planned to house College of Behavioral and Health Science programs.

The planned expansion will be 91,000 square feet and will be home to the criminal justice, psychology and social work departments.

When included in Gov. Bill Haslam's budget in January, the building was the top-ranked project on the Tennessee Higher Education Commission's priority list. The estimated completion for this project is summer 2020.

The three-story innovative center will provide classroom, office and lab spaces that have been needed for decades, said Terry Whiteside, Dean of the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences. Whiteside has worked for MTSU for 45 years.

Of the total cost, $35.1 million is provided by state government and $4.5 million was provided by the university. MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee said this expansion is "a sign of investment in our university."

McPhee, who has been president for 18 years, has encouraged expansion and growth at the university. In 2014, MTSU opened a $147 million science building.

The new building is being constructed with a "neighborhood" feel in mind, McPhee said. It will be designed to house all the departments and faculty in one building to encourage collaboration. The building will be located between the Student Union Building and the Livestock Center on the northeast side of campus.

Whiteside called this a "serious game changer for the three departments."

Newly elected Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron said the expansion "will enhance the regional economy."

For the 2018-19 academic year, 21,630 students are enrolled at MTSU.

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Reach Brinley Hineman at bhineman@gannett.com or 615-278-5164 and on Twitter @brinleyhineman.