Over the past two years, members of the University community have voiced concern over a missing thread in the on-Grounds social fabric - the lack of an accessible student center.
Many student representatives claim that having a haven to talk, relax and catch up with one another would substantially warm the social climate of the University. So, Student Council created a special advisory committee to the Council president and began planning a new student center last fall.
"The new student center is a catalyst to rethink the way students live, as it gives the University not only the chance to create a new building, but also to reinvigorate the daily life of the individual student," Council member Andy Burdick said.
Newcomb Hall has served as the official student center on Grounds since 1958. But as a growing number of students demand more places to study, more social space, more dining options, and more performance space, other University buildings such as Clemons Library, are now turning into social centers.
"Club Clemons didn't get its name for nothing," New Student Center Committee member Adam Swann said.
Council created the New Student Center Committee last fall as a first step toward turning the idea of building a new center to better serve students' into reality.
After months of work, the committee hired an architectural firm to design the renovations and new buildings. Committee chairman Steven Reinemund said he met with University President John T. Casteen III and Executive Vice President Leonard W. Sandridge Jr., and "they're willing to put the project in the normal capital outlay procedures."
"It's on the official list of stuff that's going to happen at the University," Reinemund said.
"This is a huge victory" for the committee, he said. "We've gotten the acknowledgment that this a viable project that will happen sooner rather than later."
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Through the committee's Web survey, students suggested that not only do they need a better location to socialize, but they also want a food court, casual sit-down dining and a grocery store, among other services.
Students began generating ideas for the center about two years ago. "The ideas about the New Student Center Initiative first came up around April of 1999 and work has really been under way for about a year now," Council President Joe Bilby said.
Since then, Council and the committee have taken many steps to help execute the project, including working with University Architect Pete Anderson to select a possible location for the new student center between Brown College and Newcomb Plaza.
The location of the center "is still in its conceptual stage," Burdick said.
The committee now has formulated a six-phase plan for the new student complex which it hopes to have completed by spring 2003.
Phase one is to renovate and expand the bookstore's coffee shop into a large, open coffee shop that opens onto the plaza.
Phase two is to renovate and expand Pavilion XI by knocking out the bathrooms in the center and expanding toward Clemons, to create a more open and functional area for dining.
The third phase is to renovate and expand Newcomb Theatre to accommodate theatrical productions.
Then, in the fourth phase, the Committee wants to construct a new building at the head of Newcomb Plaza in the architectural style of Brown College to house student social and art functions.
Phase five is to construct a new theater dedicated entirely to student performing arts.
The final phase is to construct an underground space, which would connect the parking garage/bookstore/new coffee shop, Newcomb Hall, the new student center and the new student performing arts building. The underground facility will make it possible to fit more rooms into the limited space of the new center.
NSCC members are not the only people generating ideas for the entire complex. The firm in charge of the center's initial drawings is VMDO Architects, a Charlottesville-based corporation.
"We wanted someone locally based so they could have easy access to students, and VMDO already has a great relationship with the administration," Burdick said.
Burdick also helped to start a studio architecture class devoted to "drawing up a series of concepts" for the student center.
The six-credit class is made up of 12 mostly graduate architecture students and is taught by Prof. Peter Waldman.
The cost for the entire project is estimated around $15 million, which is relatively inexpensive compared to other initiatives around the University. "What's great about this project is it has a lower budget than many other projects around Grounds," Burdick added. For instance, the proposed basketball arena is expected to be completed for a whopping $125 million.
The committee hopes funding for the complex will come from private donors over the next year. Because of strong administrative support, Council has little doubt that it will achieve its monetary goals for the complex. "The administration has been incredibly supportive of this project," Burdick said.
One such administrator is Dean of Students Penny Rue, who has been an advocate of the project since its inception. "It is clear there is a need for additional student space," Rue said.
Not only did she express her affirmation of the need for the new student center, but she also commended Council for its hard work. "The project would not be where it is today without the Student Council's involvement," she added.
The committee also has met with the University Master Planning Council, a group of administrators who help direct the long term building process at the University.
"They were very impressed," with the project, Reinemund said.
Members of the committee are excited that the project has met with such success. "Our biggest obstacle right now is getting the project finished by the set [spring 2003] deadline," he said.
More information about the new student center is available at www.uvastudentcenter.com. The site includes facts about the formation of the NSCC, the group's study on the history of student life at the University, results of a survey administered to gauge student opinions on the importance of each type of student facility, and power point maps that outline the plans for each phase of the project.
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