Rendering of Scianna Hall, the new school of business to be built at Southern Miss

HATTIESBURG — The University of Southern Mississippi is starting construction on a new home for its College of Business.

>> Donor: $5 million gif to USM business college an investment — not a payback

>> USM’s College of Business growing its expectations

>> USM FUNDRAISING FOR COLLEGE OF BUSINESS REACHES A MILESTONE — Gift from First Bancshares, parent of The First, puts effort over $8 million mark

Officials broke ground Thursday for Scianna Hall, a 93,000-square-foot building that will face U.S. Highway 49.

The facility is expected to be ready in two years and will replace the business program’s current home, Joseph Greene Hall, which opened in 1967.

The new building is named for Southern Miss alumnus Charles “Chuck” Scianna, who committed $6 million toward the estimated $30 million cost. The university says his donation is the largest one-time gift to the USM Foundation by an alumnus.

Scianna is president of Sim-Tex, L.P. in Waller, Texas. He’s a native of Bay St. Louis, Miss., and earned his bachelor’s degree from USM in 1975.

The business program has about 2,200 students.