An ongoing project to create a social and recreational space for students on the Corner should be completed by the start of the spring semester in 2017.
Once open, the building, located at 1515 University Avenue, will serve as an alternative to the bar scene on the Corner. It was primarily designed by students and will provide meeting, social, rehearsal and performance spaces, University Deputy Spokesperson Matt Charles said in an email statement.
“The concept includes a lounge in the basement where students can relax and play a variety of games including pool, air hockey and board and video games,” Charles said. “The ground floor will contain a stage for performances, plenty of comfortable hang-out space and feature a café serving gourmet desserts and non-alcoholic drinks.”
Charles also said the top floor will include meeting spaces, multipurpose spaces for meditation and yoga, a career counseling advising location for the arts community and rehearsal spaces.
The project is the result of a collaborative effort between the University and students from the Meriwether Lewis Institute for Citizen Leadership, a multi-year fellowship program at the University. The University is also working with Nalls Architecture, Inc., a Pennsylvania architecture company run by Robert Nalls, a University alumnus.
The University had originally aimed to open the building in time for the fall semester of 2016, but Marsh Pattie, assistant vice president for student affairs and associate dean of students, said that goal was difficult to reach.
“There were ambitious hopes this would happen, but the building requires much work to renovate,” Pattie said in an email statement. “As with many construction projects that involve older buildings, there are usually unforeseen challenges that arise.”
However, he said the University expects to have a soft launch in Dec. 2016, with a grand opening Jan. 2017.
James Zehmer, University historic preservation project manager, also said there are several hurdles involved in renovating an older building.
“The building itself was originally a house that was built in 1896,” he said, adding that once construction began, some serious structural concerns came to light, which have taken longer than expected to rectify.
In addition to the structural issues, upgrades to the power system have been a time-consuming part of the project.
“Another major hurdle is providing electricity to the building,” Zehmer said.
On the design side of the project, he said students from the Meriwether Lewis Institute have been closely involved since the beginning.
Last summer “the Meriwether Lewis Institute used the building for their class project,” Zehmer said. “They were divided into five different teams and each team developed a presentation on their idea of a good way to adapt the building for a student center.”
After that, Nalls Architecture used the students’ design concepts to determine what sort of functions would best serve the University and to decide what to prioritize in designing the space.
One student from each of the five groups was chosen to represent their team in meetings about the development as it moved forward.
“We've had meetings basically every other week since January of this year,” Zehmer said of the Meriwether Lewis Institute students. “They've been very involved all the way throughout the project.”
Read More
Police forcefully clear encampment near University Chapel, detain protesters
By Thomas Baxter and Finn Trainer | 16 hours agoThe University declared the encampment an unlawful assembly at 2:44 p.m.
Student Council passes appointment bill, approves new CIOs at final meeting of semester
By Arshiya Pant | YesterdayMendoza Gonzalez also said she will be meeting with Kenyon R. Bonner, vice president and chief student affairs officer, to discuss further strategies for the Student Council Endowment Fund.
Professors speak about leading productive dialogue on Israel-Hamas war
By Lexie Stadler | 2 days agoThe event was hosted by the University’s Task Force on Religious Diversity and Belonging, which is designed to ensure that the University is welcoming to community members from all religions and cultures.
