(Published Saturday, August 4, 2007 12:48:54 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Carla McCann/Gazette staff
Whitewater
The sounds and sights of a campus in the midst of expansion dominate the heart of UW-Whitewater's Wyman Mall, where the James R. Connor University Center is being upgraded to better serve today's students.
Work on the center started in summer 2006. The building will be reopened in phases beginning in January 2008.
But that isn't the only campus project.
Construction has started at the mall's north end with demolition of Sayles and Baker residence halls. Salisbury Hall, another mall neighbor, soon will be razed, as well.
The current hole in the ground will become the site of the university's centerpiece, the new College of Business & Economics.
The projects are moving forward on schedule, said Patricia Jankowski, campus planner.
The new Timothy J. Hyland Hall College of Business & Economics will not be ready until summer 2009.
Meanwhile, students will be routed around construction sites.
Although the disruption of daily activities is inconvenient, it is a small price to pay for the improvements, Jankowski said.
The University Center will offer students indoor and outdoor gathering places that will help create a campus community.
The $20 million upgrade will include:
? A convenience store.
? A large ballroom.
? A 280-seat auditorium/theater.
? A student involvement center that consolidates the leadership, multicultural education and adult resource centers, and student government.
? An expanded art gallery.
? A new and contemporary food service.
? Meeting rooms outfitted with state-of-the-art technology.
The building will open the doors for state-of-the-art educational opportunities and provide the high-quality setting that is essential for a first-rate business program, university officials have said. It also will enhance the university's ability to recruit and retain top quality faculty and students.
The cost for the College of Business & Economics will be about $42 million, Jankowski said.
"It will be a green environmental building," Jankowski said. "It's going to be beautiful."
The two projects, however, aren't the only upgrades on campus.
Wyman Mall is under construction. The old street is being dug up for utility upgrades and will be landscaped to make it more user friendly, Jankowski said.
"There will be seating and study areas. Places for people to store their bicycles," Jankowski said.
The university also plans two suite-style residence halls, which will offer 450 beds; upgrades within the multi-sports complex, including a new track, soccer field, bleachers and scoreboard; and remodeling of the bookstore.
The bookstore will be closed when the center opens in January and be ready for business by August, Jankowski said.
With all of the construction, the university has taken care to recycle.
"We've recycled everything that we can," Jankowski said. "We've saved some bricks and cornerstones from each building. We have gone through the entire process of taking out hazardous materials and cleaning everything as much as we can. We're also stockpiling a lot of dirt that can be used on other projects and jobs."
