Auditorium to be built at UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge

A new auditorium that could be used for education will be built at the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge through a public-private partnership, officials announced Tuesday.

The partnership includes UT AgResearch, a unit of the UT Institute of Agriculture; the UT Institute for Public Service; and the Rogers Group.

The auditorium was announced during a Tuesday morning breakfast at the Arboretum that was sponsored by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce.

“This is an incredible opportunity to use this facility to showcase a variety of educational opportunities that will enhance the Arboretum in its mission of teaching, research, and outreach,” UT AgResearch Dean Bill Brown said.

A press release said funding came through a land trade with Rogers Group for a small amount of land adjacent to the arboretum and for a piece of property in Sweetwater, Tenn.

“However, the funding from this trade will only partially fund the facility, and additional funding is being sought to complete the project,” said the press release, from the UT Institute of Agriculture.

It said the auditorium could be used to provide infrastructure for educational programs from the UT Institute for Public Service.

“This auditorium fits very well into a community need for quality meeting space, and we are grateful that this team has come together to build the public-private partnership needed to make it a reality,” said Parker Hardy, president of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. “The very special arboretum setting will make it a unique amenity for the university and for Oak Ridge.”

Plans call for using an arboretum coordinator to oversee and provide additional educational programming opportunities for the community, and to help market the new auditorium for other outreach, training, and social events, the release said. The coordinator will work under the direction of Kevin Hoyt, director of the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center.

“We are very excited about the new auditorium project that we hope to break ground on in the near future,” Hoyt said. “This new building will further support our mission of providing the land and supporting resources necessary for conducting natural resources research, enhancing our community outreach efforts, and providing a modern venue for increasing our educational programming efforts. It will in fact build on the legacy of this magnificent resource, and provide a catalyst of positive change for the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center.”

The press release cited support from several local federal contractors, nonprofit organizations, and credit unions.

“Without their support, this unique educational facility would not become a reality,” the release said.

The UT Institute of Agriculture provides instruction, research, and public service through the UT College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch, including its system of 10 research and education centers, and UT Extension offices in every county in the state.