
After much anticipation, the Danforth University Center-a $34 million undertaking-will open as scheduled on August 11.
The tenants of this three-story 116,000 square foot gothic styled building will begin moving in on July 14, with the move being completed on July 21 and 28.
“Everything appears to be on schedule and going as planned. Clayco, the construction company, has been a great company with whom to work. Their folks could not be more accommodating and responsive,” Vice Chancellor Jill Carnaghi wrote in an e-mail. “As in any project, there’s been a few minor delays and/or a few questions along the way.”
The new University center will house a variety of meeting rooms, the Career Center, and offices for event services, the Office of Student Activities, Student Union and media groups like WUTV, Student Life and the Hatchet Yearbook. The Center will also include three dining options, including a sit down bistro offering alcoholic beverages, and the much-hyped ‘fun room,’ a room in which students will be able to relax and recreate.
“I got to tour the DUC [during] one of the last couple of weeks of school and it looked great. There was a lot more space for Student Union, and just a lot more space for everyone,” incoming Sophomore Class President Nate Ferguson said. “It’s going to be very nice, very good conditions to work in.”
In between the time that the tenants move in during July and the building’s official opening in August, access is limited to only those who have offices within the building, according to Carnaghi. Furniture and equipment will be coming into the building at this time, so tenants will be required to wear an issued lanyard and show identification in order to enter the building.
To celebrate the opening of the DUC, there will be many activities occurring in and around the building. “SUp All Night,” hosted by Student Union (SU), is scheduled for the evening of August 24 and will be intended to introduce the building to incoming students.
“Our goal is to get all members of the campus community into the building during its first year. We think there is something for just about everyone within or in one of the courtyards around the center,” Carnaghi said.
Although the building will be officially opening in the fall, its dedication is scheduled for April 2009.
The University Center is to be named in honor of Chancellor Emeritus William H. Danforth and his late wife Elizabeth “Ibby” Danforth. Dr. Danforth served as Chancellor of the University from 1971 to 1995, right before the tenure of Chancellor Wrighton. The Danforth Campus, the main campus serving undergraduates, is also named for the Danforth family.
The completion of the DUC marks the first time a building on campus is Leadership Energy and Environmental (LEED) gold certified, the second-highest certification an environmentally-friendly designed building can receive.
As a LEED gold certified building, the DUC will have improved water and energy use efficiencies that surpass state and federal standards. In addition, recycled material was used throughout the construction process.
Currently, construction is underway, but is in its final stages.
“If you walk around it now, particularly the north side, you’re able to look in the windows and get a sense of what the first floor is shaping up to look like,” Carnaghi wrote.