Construction for the University of Tennessee at Martin’s Tennessee Entrepreneurial Science and Technology (TEST) Hub will begin the second week of April. Sidewalk closures and some minor disruptions to the Pacer Pond Fitness Trail route are expected as construction continues.
Construction for the TEST Hub will begin in the field directly behind the Student Recreation Center. The Pacer Pond Fitness Trail will be primarily impacted along Hannings Lane, with the closure spanning the length of the trail along the road.
Barriers will be in place to block foot traffic from entering the closed portion of the trail. A temporary path will be open, which will allow the Pacer Pond Fitness Trail to remain open with minimal interruptions. Signage will be in place to direct foot traffic.
Dana Hagan, director of physical plant operations, spoke on the logistics of the closure.
“The closure impacts all those who use the fitness trail,” Hagan said. “The temporary path just helps to detour the folks to avoid the construction area and not encourage pedestrians to enter into Hannings Lane.”
The TEST Hub is a $19 million facility that will combine educational facilities, entrepreneurial centers and manufacturing workshops surrounding a shared industrial makerspace. Through partnership with the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology and Dyersburg State Community College, the facility will offer educational opportunities at the certificate, associate and bachelor’s degree levels, as well as career and technical education opportunities for the region’s high schools
Funded with an $18 million investment by the Tennessee General Assembly and by a further $1 million in donations from area community members and industries, the TEST Hub will combine innovative educational facilities, supportive entrepreneurial centers and creative manufacturing workshops surrounding a shared industrial makerspace.
Through partnerships with the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology Henry/Carroll and Dyersburg State Community College, the facility will offer educational opportunities at the certificate, associate and bachelor’s degree levels, as well as career and technical education opportunities for the region’s high schools.
The TEST Hub will also be the new home for the UT Martin Regional Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Center. The REED Center assists existing and potential business owners through one-on-one consultations and interactive training programs. The center houses the Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC), which is currently located in downtown Martin.
For more information about the closures impacting the Pacer Pond Fitness Trail, contact the Office of University Relations at 731-881-7615.
PHOTO: An artist’s rendering of the UT Martin TEST Hub is shown.
