More Renovations, More Problems?

Here at, Fayetteville State University, we have watched construction take place on campus with growing anticipation, wondering what the outcome will be. The latest construction began this semester with the expansion of the Rudolph Jones Student Center.

FSU students, faculty and staff have seen the parking lot behind the student center turn into dirt, literally. There have been many questions about the parking spaces we have lost during this process, but there is more to it than that. Although one parking lot has been taken away, we have gained another, parking lot Z; which was built in June while classes were out.

The project manager for FSU, Mr. Richard Cox says, “The expansion will take up about 45 spaces, but there will be 115 spaces added once complete.”

After meeting with Cox at the construction site I was given a better visual on what we will gain in the end. As we know, the lower level of the student center has already been demolished and they are moving to the upper level. As this is happening, there are waterlines, natural gas lines, and air conditioning units that have to be moved as well as the replacement of electrical feeds.

Cox stated, “The hardest part about the construction is working around café hours because none of these things can be replaced or fixed while people are in the building.” Speaking of the café, it is also going to be expanded to include additional equipment and stations to receive/prepare food and added seating. This means thatstudents will not have to stand in long cluttered lines to get food.

The expansion of the café is expected to happen next summer after the May 2014 graduation. The new and improved student center is expected to be completed by Spring 2015 and will include a variety of awesome things like a 100 seat movie theater, a bigger lounge area, a ballroom that seats 500, a new game room and multiple offices for FSU clubs/organizations and staff.

Overall, there will be 24,183 square feet added to the already 36, 792 square foot building. According to Cox, the estimated cost of the expansion to the student center is around $23 million.

Maybe the demolition of the parking lot and the student center gave people a negative outlook on what was being done, but just think of the student center we will have in the future. FSU’s campus, our campus, is gaining much more in the end!