This article originally appeared on CityBiz.
Hoar is partnering with TCAT Dickson and the Tennessee Board of Regents on the construction of over 113,000 square feet of new campus facilities
Hoar Construction has announced the beginning of construction on three facilities for Tennessee College of Applied Technology Dickson (TCAT Dickson), including a higher education center in partnership with the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) that will be shared with Nashville State Community College’s Dickson campus. All three facilities are set to be completed in the first half of 2026, and will enhance the educational offerings, faculty spaces and maintenance facilities for both schools located in Dickson, Tennessee.
On the campus of TCAT Dickson, Hoar is under construction on a 16,000-square-foot facility to house Diesel Powered Equipment Technology (DPE), replacing an existing building for the DPE program. The firm is also working on a new two-story, 37,000-square-foot facility for the Industrial Electrical Maintenance/Mechatronics, Mechatronics Multicraft Tech and Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration programs. This split-level building will expand the school’s offerings to accommodate student enrollment growth.
The two buildings are expected to be completed by the summer of 2026. Additional project partners include Johnson Johnson Crabtree Architects as the architect, Ingram Civil Engineering Group as the civil engineers, EMC Structural Engineers as the structural engineer partner and Envision Advantage as the MEP engineer.
“As our first initiative in partnership with TCAT Dickson, we are honored to be selected to oversee construction of these two campus initiatives, set to greatly enhance the school’s capabilities and offerings,” said Jerry Young, vice president of division operations at Hoar. “We are drawing on our years of higher education experience to ensure that this project is completed at the highest standard, with student safety at the forefront of our minds. With the support of our trusted design and trade partners, we look forward to celebrating the successful completion of these projects next year.”
In addition to the Diesel & Tech Buildings, Hoar will build a two-story, 60,000-square-foot Dickson County Center for Higher Education to be shared between TCAT Dickson and Nashville State Community College. It will house a pharmacy technology lab, a nursing lab with hospital beds for simulation practices, a testing center and several classrooms, along with student lounges and faculty offices. The TriStar Horizon Natchez Emergency Room is located next to the center, and Hoar will build a new sidewalk to connect the two. This will allow students from the higher education center to visit the emergency department for real world instruction.
“This project marks another milestone in our 15-year-long partnership with TBR, an outstanding collaborator over the years as we’ve worked on numerous projects together around the state,” said Young. “The new center will help shape the future of higher education in Dickson, offering students from various institutions a chance to collaborate and learn in a cutting-edge facility featuring modern labs and classrooms designed to foster hands-on learning. We are proud to once again play a role in advancing TBR’s mission across Tennessee and remain committed to delivering construction excellence through our work on this impactful project.”
The Dickson County Center for Higher Education is expected to be completed by the spring of 2026. Anecdote Architectural Experiences, based in Nashville, is serving as the design partner. Kimley-Horn is the civil engineer, EMC Structural Engineers is the structural engineer and I.C. Thomasson Associates is the MEP engineer.
Hoar is heavily involved in higher education initiatives across the state of Tennessee, and recently celebrated the topping out of the 30,200-square-foot Rhea County Higher Education Center for Chattanooga State Community College in Dayton Tennessee, as well as the groundbreaking for a 116,000-square-foot Student Success Center on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
