Posted 2:56 p.m. Tuesday, June 14, 2016
New student union to open in spring 2017.
New student union to open in spring 2017
Construction of UWL’s new student union is on schedule with plans for major contractors to hand over the keys Sept. 28. In October and November furniture will be moved into the new facility and doors will open early spring semester 2017. Construction started at the corner of East Avenue and Farwell Street in fall 2014. The four-story, $55 million building is paid for by student fees. In April 2012 students voted to build a new student center instead of making needed repairs to Cartwright Center, the current student center, which was built in the 1950s. Construction of the new facility for student socialization, recreation, studying and more is about 80 percent complete, according to Wayne Holum, a CD Smith foreman. “This is crazy. It went up so quickly, and it’s beautiful,” says Camille Walter, a UWL senior who toured the facility this week. “I’ll see it my last semester here and that’s exciting.”Bigger and better
The more than 200,000 square foot student center is about 66,000 square feet larger than Cartwright Center. Rooms inside the center will accommodate UWL's growing population. The new facility’s multi-purpose room is 17,300 square feet with seating capacity for 1,200. That is 40 percent larger than Cartwright’s main performance and event venue — Valhalla. An entertainment cafe, which will provide space for programming similar to The Cellar, is also larger. It is located in the lower level of the new student union with the ceiling opening to a first floor balcony above the stage. In addition to larger, architecturally interesting spaces for events and entertainment, the union has other new features such as:- Meeting rooms, which include large windows with views of Grandad Bluff
- Four fireplaces
- Three patios
- A recreation area with an entrance that spells “PLAY”
- A theatre designed primarily for film screenings that seats 220
- Lower level dining area with gas fire pizza oven
- Outdoor gas fire pit
- Outdoor rain gardens
- Student Senate chambers
- Student organization offices
- Student lounges
- Admissions
- Textbook rental
- University Bookstore
- Grab-and-go food
- Food service/dining areas
- Einstein’s Coffee shop
- Meeting rooms
- Private dining rooms
- Offices
- Family room
- Fourth floor penthouse (to house building equipment only)