Gee Lake is getting a facelift as campus-wide renovations continue.
Located at the front of the campus in front of the performing arts center, the lake serves as a prominent feature at Texas A&M University-Commerce. But dirt mounds, bulldozers and construction crews currently obscure the view. According to Jim Patton, facilities project manager, Richard Drake Construction Company, based in Paris, Texas, is repairing the function and appearance of the lake. He said the landscape architect who designed the project is Michael Kendall.
“The main part of the project is to put a retaining wall around the lake to prevent erosion,” Patton said. “In addition to that there will be walkways on the south and west sides.”
According to Patton, work on the lake will cost around $615,000 and should be finished around the end of April. The changes will also improve lake drainage.
“We knocked out the old spillway and replaced it with an inlet,” Patton said.
Before it was improved Patton said the lake was continually eroding.
Most students didn’t know what was happening to the lake but hoped it would be an improvement.
“I guess the college could use a few touch ups,” Ryan Derr, a senior music performance major, said.
Other students were not so optimistic.
“I thought we couldn’t do anything to the lake because we haven’t been allowed to clean up the lake because of the alligator snapping turtle that lives at the bottom,” Angela Owens, a senior theater major said. “I don’t remember any of the town meetings I