Schools of Mines closer to opening new Mineral Industries building

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - South Dakota School of Mines will soon have additional facilities with the construction of a new building in the center of their campus. On Thursday, a ceremony was held to celebrate the final steel beam being placed on the structure.

Students and staff from all over campus collected to witness the event as a crane lifted the final beam into place and workers secured it. Jim Rankin, the president of South Dakota Mines, says this building has been long overdue with the old mineral industries building being built in the 1960s. Rankin says this building will serve multiple functions.

“It’s worth noting that this building will have three different departments in it. Mining engineering, metallurgical engineering, and then geology and geological engineering will be the three departments in there,” said Rankin.

Rankin says the old building will be demolished soon after the new one is opened. He anticipates a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new building in the fall of 2024.