LEFT: Broyhill Fountain, a popular gathering place
for UNL students since its construction, will be
demolished this winter to make room for an
expanded Nebraska Union and plaza.
Photo by Marni Speck/DN
BELOW: An artist’s sketch of the north side of the
renovated Nebraska Union. Construction is
scheduled to begin in November. The project will
be complete in the summer of 1998.
Sketch courtesy of Nebraska Union
asbestos.The workers will begin in the
north part of the food court, using a
dust wall to protect the people still
using the building, he said.
In December, workers are sched
uled remove asbestos from the billiard
room, the union administration and
Office for Student Involvement on the
second floor.
Those offices will be relocated to a
ballroom, which will be closed to pub
lic use for about a year, Swanson said.
During winter break, the workers
will remove asbestos from the remain
der of the food court.
“Students will see the most signifi
cant change in January when they re
turn from Christmas break,” Swanson
said.
At that time, the north entrance to
the union will be closed while con
struction crews begin demolishing the
north columns of the union, he said.
Swanson said two temporary en
trances will be built on the west side
of the union, one serving the Univer
sity Bookstore and the other serving
the main floor. The entrances will be
used for more than a year.
The current handicap-accessible
west entrance will be demolished, dis
rupting 24-hour access to the computer
room until the expansion is finished,
he said.
There will be a temporary handi
cap-accessible entrance near the cen
ter of the west wall, which is the area
where the grandfather clocks are now.
There will also be a temporary ramp.
The temporary entrance will be turned
into a window when the permanent
handicap entrance is finished.
Swanson also said some of the park
ing in the meter lot east of the union
will be taken by the asbestos removal
crews.
Eventually, the whole lot will be
used by construction crews.
Plans for specific additions are:
. • An extended-hours convenience
store in the basement of the union and
expanded book store.
• A new recreation area in the base
ment, including a big screen television
lounge, a billiards room, and an ex
panded video game lounge.
66
Students will see the most significant
change in January when they return
from Christmas break”
- +
Daryl Swanson
Nebraska Unions director
/
*
• An expanded computer room and
copy shop.
• An art lounge, which will display
various local and traveling exhibits on
the main floor.
• A larger lobby, including addi
tional booths for use by student orga
nizations and salespeople.
• A new handicap-accessible en
trance on the west side of the union.
• Additional seating in the food
court.
• A new, high-tech auditorium and
renovated meeting rooms.
• A second-floor balcony overlook
ing the green space.
• A security office for volunteer
community service officers.
Swanson said the expansion of the
building should be completed during
the summer of 1998. The plaza, includ
ing a new fountain and stage area will
be completed before the fall semester
of 1998-99.
"This is the hard part of the pro
cess,” Swanson said. "We hope we can
get through this part while continuing
to serve our community.”