Tougaloo College is in store for a major facelift over the next few years.

The college has secured funds to complete the restoration of the Robert O. Wilder Building, also known as "The Mansion," as well as money to renovate Warren Hall. New construction will include a new academic complex, where the art collection will be stored.

Brownlee Hall, which at one point was to be renovated, is now set to be razed.

In addition to the campus projects, Tougaloo is the official site for the National Civil Rights Museum in Mississippi. It is set to be constructed on property owned by Tougaloo that is adjacent to the campus.

Kelle Menogan Sr., Vice President of Facilities and Real Property Management, the renovation of the mansion will start in the spring and take two years to complete. The $7 million renovation of Warren Hall will start in the fall of 2008 and will take a year to complete.

Tougaloo isn't a state school, but the college has been successful at raising the money needed for these developments. "Just trying to raise the money for development is some of the hardest money to raise," Menogan said. "We also share concerns of the students. We want to see the campus look better."

Just as important as the campus renovation is the fact that the College will now have room for its art collection. The 2,000 piece collection includes African art, African American art, as well as many European pieces. The collection is said to have been in storage for over a decade and one person in particular is ecstatic that the collection will see the light once again.