Officials detail bar renovations
By JASON McFARLEY
News Editor
The University's top student life official unveiled Monday plans for major renovations to the Alumni-Senior Club, a venue whose use for social gatherings student groups had long urged administrators to expand.
In the first public disclosure of the renovations, Father Mark Poorman, vice president for Student Affairs, told the Campus Life Council that changing the club to a sports-themed restaurant and bar will allow all students to socialize together on campus.
"We have heard the message loud and clear that we need social venues on campus that bring together underage and of-age students," Poorman said, addressing the CLC for the first time in more than two years.
As presented Monday, the plans will increase the club's area by some 50 percent, from about 10,000 square feet to more than 15,000, according to a Jan. 21 project cost summary from the Office of the University Architect. The summary estimated total cost for the initiative at more than $2 million.
The revamped facility will be ready for use in fall 2003, Poorman said.
The plans include several key changes to the club:
u Expansion of the dance floor to accommodate 400 people
u Expansion of the restaurant area to seat 190 patrons
u Addition of a restaurant-style kitchen
u Addition of offices and a storage room
u Renovated game room
Poorman's announcement followed a two-and-a-half-year study by his office into existing social space available to students on and off-campus. It essentially eliminated the possibility of renovating LaFortune Student Center to address social space concerns.
"We could wait around to renovate LaFortune," Poorman said, "but we'd be in a queue for building."
Conversion of the club frees the University to change provisions of its liquor license and allow students under 21 into an establishment where alcohol is served, Poorman said.
Right now, the facility functions mainly as a bar for drinking-age students and alumni. Groups such as the freshman and sophomore class councils have held underage dances at the club.
Poorman said the changes were flexible and pledged to seek student input before work began. He said the club would likely close in December for six to eight months of renovations. It would reopen in August 2003.
Poorman will present the plan to the Board of Trustees at the upcoming meeting.
Students had lobbied administrators at least the past two years to renovate the club.
The Student Senate completed reports on campus social space that included revamping the club. Last spring, Brooke Norton, student body president, submitted to the Board of Trustees a report that touched on the same issue.
Norton praised Poorman's announcement Monday to move forward with the initiative.
"We've been talking for a long time about how wonderful that would be," she said. "It would help so much with programming. It would change the social life on campus and perceptions of it."
All News Stories for Tuesday, February 5, 2002
