Preparations for move to New Student Center under way

While construction workers finish up the new student center for its Nov. 6 opening, employees of McKenny Union are readying themselves for the big move to their new office digs.

Packing boxes, emptying cabinets, sorting books and papers, and clearing the paper clutter are the norm of the day for a number of McKenny Union employees as they prepare for the big move.

BOXED IN: Robin Chaustowich, program coordinator for Commuter Programs at Campus Life, starts filling her stack of boxes with office papers. Chaustowich is one of approximately 175 employees who will be moving to the new student center. The move will be handled in three phases, with the first phase beginning Tuesday, Oct. 26. Photo by Randy Mascharka

"I want to assure people that McKenny Union is going to close Friday, Nov. 3, for renovation," said Glenna Frank Miller, director of McKenny Union and Campus Life. "The renovation will start a few weeks after it is closed and will reopen in fall 2007."

While Taco Bell and Freshens shut down operations Oct. 5 in McKenny Union to ready for their move to the 181,000-square-foot, new student center, many other businesses will continue to operate a few more weeks in McKenny Union. These include the EMU Bookstore (which currently is having a clearance sale), Mailboxes, Inc., Club Cappuccino, the Lobby Shop, Pumpernickel's and Wendy's.

The move to the new student center will take place in three phases and will be headed by Diversified Property Services (DPS).

"Logistically, moving into that building (new student center) is a dream," said David Garcia, director of DPS. "There's lots of dock space and large, open-space entrances and good-sized elevators. The moving out will be more of a challenge, the moving out of multiple buildings. We're trying to phase in their (various groups) schedule to the overall move plan. We're trying to make it as efficient as possible. But, I feel very confident this will go off without a hitch."

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