For the past two years, construction progress of the exterior
of the new student center has been front and center for
all to see. The planned, 181,000-square-foot mecca for
student life and programming is now 84 percent complete
and is expected to open Nov. 6.
However, it is the detailed plans for the inside of the
facility that have recently taken shape as blueprints for
each floor of the building were unveiled at an Aug. 9 meeting
in McKenny Union's Guild Hall.
 |
AN INSIDE LOOK: Blueprints for the
new
student center's first floor includes a
food
court, bookstore and meeting room. The
new student
center is slated to open Nov. 6. |
The $40.4 million project will include a dining marketplace
(dubbed the Marche Food Court), bookstore, retail space,
a TCF bank, a ticket office for the Convocation Center,
a game room and one meeting room on the first floor.
Follett
will run the bookstore, which will be 13,000 square
feet. The bookstore space will include areas for textbook
sales, EMU apparel and general merchandise, a large general
books
area, a lounge with a coffee shop, and the University
Computer Store. The square footage also includes support
spaces for storage, offices, etc.
Subway, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Sbarro and Panda Express are
some of the food vendors expected to occupy the building.
The food court will seat approximately 450 people.
- The second floor will include the Admissions Welcome
Center, Service EMU, Student Judicial Services, Academic
Service-Learning, a 24-hour computer lab, a 650-seat
ballroom (that can be divided into two, smaller rooms),
a 250-seat auditorium, coffee shop, a student art gallery,
lounges, relaxing spaces for students and two meeting
rooms.
"The auditorium has a wonderful sound system. We can present
films, TV shows, presentations and Web cams," said Carlos
Costa, director of the new student center. "There is a
lot of flexibility to support your activities."
- The third floor will house the Center for Student Involvement,
10 meeting rooms, and offices for Student Government, Diversity
Programs, Campus Life, VISION, Event Planning and the building
administration. The largest meeting room includes seating
for 325 in theater style or 208 for roundtable seating.
There also will be a round Kiva room, akin to those used
in Native American culture.
 |
SECOND FLOOR VIEW: The second floor of
the new student center includes a 650-seat
ballroom
and a 250-seat auditorium, an art
gallery, coffee
shop and fireplace. |
"All meeting rooms have sophisticated lighting systems.
You can set different lighting levels," Costa said. "In
every room and office area, there will be detectors that
turn out the lights on a timer."
Meeting rooms will include several other comfort and convenience
features, including: individual box controls for heating,
air conditioning and ventilation; built-in floor boxes
to plug in extension cords; and closets to store audiovisual
equipment, Costa said.
To make the building more inviting during the warmer months,
glass-paneled walls on the east side of the building will
maximize the natural daylight as much as possible and also
promote the view of University Park and the Lake House,
Costa said. All meeting rooms located along the east side
will have a window view. In the winter, students can gather
around the fireplaces that will dot the common areas.
Event Planning has announced a brand new catering option
plan that is expected to be used extensively. Approximately
660 events — including conferences, meetings and seminars
— have been booked for the new student center from November
through June 2007 said Glenna Frank Miller, director of
McKenny Union and Campus Life, whose title will change
to executive director of the new student center. For details
about the catering plan, call Event Planning at 487-4108.
Outside, the facility is still being landscaped and 250
parking spaces are available on the west side of the new
student center. The parking spaces are expected to be available
for student use beginning in September. Traffic walking
patterns to the new center will include pathways from the
Rec/IM, the Towers, central campus, residence halls, commuter
parking lots and main campus.
"We're going to have a weeklong (Nov. 6-13) series of
programs and activities to celebrate our building," Miller
said.
A formal dedication of the new student center is planned
Nov. 17, Miller said.
"After we occupy the new student center, we will
close McKenny Union down for renovation and have it reopened
by September 2007," said Larry Ward, director of facility
maintenance.
The renovation will cost approximately $4.6 million, Ward
said.
When the building reopens, it will be renamed Charles
McKenny Hall. Career Services will be housed in the current
bookstore. Human Resources will occupy the lower floor
currently being used by McKenny Union and Campus Life.
The ballroom will remain intact and continue to be used
for various functions.
All current meeting rooms in McKenny Union will remain as
such, Miller said. A lobby shop offering pre-made sandwiches,
similar to the Paradox Café in Halle Library, will
be available, said Larry Gates, director of Dining Services.
