WUC will not be renovated in time for spring

Photos by Stephanie Mason; mock-up images courtesy of Scott Jones.

Carlos Coba/Assistant News Director

Students that have been waiting for the renovated Wolfe University Center to be inaugurated must wait a few more months.

It has been undergoing renovations since this summer and was set for spring 2014 completion, but the ribbon cutting will not be held until mid-to-late March because of an “expansion in scope,” according to Director of Student Affairs at WUC Scott Jones.

The scope of the project is the final product expectations. It involves all components of the renovation including lighting, audio, seating, paint work and carpeting.

The renovation has consisted of two phases: the first consisted of demolition and was meant to be completed in October, while the second phase was meant to be completed by December so that the ribbon cutting could be held by the start of spring semester.

However, due to the expansion in scope of phase two, mainly dealing with the ceilings and floors, phase one’s demolition had to be expanded for a month to accommodate and phase two did not begin until Thanksgiving break.

“We’ve expanded the furnishing, carpeting,  the ceiling work and we are now painting the entire building,” said Jones, who has held his position since April. [pullquote]“The scope increased, so we needed to increase the timeline in regards to scheduling to make it all look new.”[/pullquote]

To Jones, however, worrying about aesthetics is not the only thing on his list.

He wants the purpose of the WUC to be changed and the space to be “activated differently.”

He wants people to feel more comfortable while lounging or studying at the facilities, and emphasizes that removing the concrete structures and replacing them with glass panes will allow them to see the space and react with people differently throughout the center.

Back when the building was utilized differently as an open-space environment, there was a lot of pre-cast, concrete structures needed for architectural purposes. The exterior corridors served as a navigation pathway into an air-conditioned space, but this changed.

“Once the building became fully air-conditioned, those concrete structures still stood, and that impacted people’s line of sight and their experience of interaction,” said Jones.

The glass panes that will improve the sight throughout the WUC, like Jones says, should all be up by the end of the year.

According to some students, this is a more bearable part of the renovation process, in comparison to the loud demolition phase over summer.

But some students still find inconveniences, although less noisy.

“The construction limits our routes when it comes to walking around campus,” said Camilo Londono, senior journalism major. “Last week the computer lab and game rooms were closed, and now you have to take a detour to go to the library from the bookstore.”

[pullquote]“When I’m running late to class, I think I might be able to use the hallway that leads out to the library but some days it’s closed and some it isn’t.”[/pullquote]

Some students find the inconveniences to be minimal and prefer waiting a bit longer for a WUC that is thoroughly re-structured.

 “Though the construction can be a bit tedious, I think it will ultimately be good for the campus,” said Miriam Arias, senior broadcasting media major. “I don’t have an issue with the delay of the set date as long as the finished product is good.”

 Quality is also a priority of the Student Government Association, who has funded over $2 million of the $3 million project.

This makes the WUC’s renovation the SGA’s largest funded project, according to Rafael Zapata, Student Government Association advisor.

“In addition to expanding the scope of the project, it is very important to have the renovations done properly,” said Richard Azimov, vice president of SGA-BBC since April.

To Jones, this delay guarantees proper renovations, making the wait worthwhile. Lounge areas will be available in every floor, as well as in between floors, and touch screen technology will be eventually set up in certain areas.

“When folks walk in through the front door, they will have a completely different experience as they walk through, or around, the building,” said Jones. “They will be able to see all the way up to the third floor as soon as soon as they walk in.”