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r-arenthood®^
of Lincoln
O” Street • 3705 South Street
-3300_ 441-53331
Union nears fall
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ByIevaAugotums
Assignment Reporter « v •
r - Jackhammers, bulldozers and dust
took over UNLs Nebraska Union this
school year wife the goal to construct a
new and improved student union by
August
But somewhere within the piles of
concrete, temporary plywood walls and
asbestos removal, the completion dead
line blurred.The University of
Nebraska-Lincoln must wait two addi
tional months for final completion
because of setbacks early in the project
Nebraska Unions Director Daryl
Swanson said most areas of die union -
the plaza, north entrance, art exhibit
room, Student Involvement Offices,
lounge and food court dining space,
recreation room and big screen TV
lounge-will be accessible and in use by
die fall.
Central construction, however, will
be completed in mid-October, he said.
“With construction, you never know
what Is going to happen,” Swanson said.
“We want to make sure we have the
major circulation spaces done first”
Swanson said an unforeseen excess
of asbestos within die union structure is
die main reason for construction delay. *
Preliminary asbestos removal began in
November 1996 and major asbestos
abatement continues today.
Swanson said $214,000 was bud
geted for asbestos removal, and in
February UNL asked for an additional
$800,000 from the NU Board of
Regents to cover total asbestos abate
ment
“We could not continue moving for
ward with construction until the
asbestos was completely removed,”
coiH
With the additional $800,000, the
total union expansion and renovation
project is approaching $13.5 million,
said Larry Blake, Nebraska Union pro
ject manager.
In March 1995, students voted in an
ASUN election to support funding the
union expansion through a $20-per
semester additional charge to tuition
and fees bills. The $20-per-semester
charge began this fall and will continue
for 20 years.
“It’s a small price to pay for a wealth
of commodities,” Blake said.
Features of the expansion and reno
vation project will add 55,000 square
feet of new space and renovate 66,000
square feet of the existing union struc
ture, he said.
One of die most noticeable features
is the new north entrance. It features an
open rotunda, where a wide staircase
will wind from the basement to the sec
ond floor.
Starting from the ground up, the
basement will feature a new conve
nience store run by the University
Bookstore, a relocated big-screen TV
lcungesn^ an expanded recreation area.
Swanson said the project also is tripling
the Daily Nebraskan’s office space,
which was partially completed in
January 1998.
On the first floor, construction is
nearing completion for a new informa
tion desk west of the new north entrance,
a secured art lounge and exhibit room
east of the entrance and expanded
lounge and food court dining space.
The Copy Center will relocate from
die basement to the first floor to com
plement an expanded 24-tour computer
lab. The compute lab will be accessible
from inside the union during normal
hours, as well as through a west
entrance after hours.
First-floor restrooms were expand
ed and upgraded in November 1997,
and a unisex restroom will be accessible
after hours for computer room users.
On the second floor, the Student
Involvement Office is expanding to
serve students involved in more than
300 student organizations. Swanson
said the center will be open with
expanded evening hours. Several new
meeting rooms and a 320-seat auditori
um also are being built on die second
flora; and they will be the last areas fin
ished.
Swanson said the union has had
tremendous usage, even with the con
struction.
“We have reduced meeting room
space, but organizations have found
alternative spaces,” Swanson said. “And
they still use our services.”
The second floor’s center aesthetic
feature is a balcony overlooking the
plaza, fountain and greenspace.The
new plaza, outside of die north entrance,
will remain the same size as the former
Broyhill Plaza, which was demolished
in January 1997. A new water feature
will replace the old fountain. Swanson
said the new water feature still will be
known as Broyhill Fountain.
“We are really pushing for comple
tion of the plaza,” Swanson said. “We
want it finished before classes begin in
fall ”
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Swanson said a grand opening cere
mony is being planned for Oct 22 and
Oct. 23. The University Program
Council and Union Board will be spon
soring activities throughout die week.
While waiting to use their new
union, Blake said the students and pub
lic have been understanding and patient
“Throughout the construction pro
ject, the university community has tol
erated die mess, noise and inconve
niences fairly well,” Blake said.
Swanson said the reaction of stu
dents, faculty and the community has
been positive so far.
“Their presence in the building is
reaspripg to me.”
Wien the union is finally complet
ed, Blake and Swanson agreed it will
continue to be the “living room” of City
Campus. And Swanson said he hopes
the finished union will accommodate
the university’s growing needs.
He said the rapid increase of student
enrollment was the main reason for die
union expansion. When the union was
first built in 1938 there were 5,752 stu
dents attending UNL. After a renovation
in 1958, there were 8,356 students. Ten
years later, after the union’s second ren
ovation, there were 19,618 students.
The current renovations should
serve today’Ss 22,897 students for years
to comp, Swanson said.
“I cannot say that we never will need
another expansion of the union,”
Swanson said. “It all depends oh the stu
dents and their wants and needs.”