Ole Miss Community Welcomed To Sign Final Beam For Student Union Friday

Student Union construction

The renovation and expansion to the student union is one of the most highly anticipated projects taking place on the Ole Miss campus. As the construction continues, crews are about to make a monumental step forward in the process.

The last beam needed for the expansion will be placed tomorrow, and the University wants to ensure that everyone is a part of this occasion. The Student Union is giving students the chance to leave their mark on the project by signing the beam from 10-3 tomorrow next to the Lyceum.
The union project began with initial designs and timelines being developed in 2007. This is the first major renovation and addition to the space since it was originally completed in 1976, when enrollment was around 7,000 students. The completed student union will feature over 150,000 square feet of dining options, study spaces, offices and conference centers. 
The expansion of the union with the new dining options is set to open in August of 2017, while the renovated original student union will open in the fall of 2018. The renovation to the existing union began in January, after serving the Ole Miss campus for the fall semester. Due to the addition of numerous new options around campus, Union Director Bradley Baker felt that the campus could withstand the temporary loss of the union to help speed up the project. 
Although it will be a lengthy process, Baker told HottyToddy.com last November that it’ll be worth it in the end. 
“It’s not every day you get to build a student union; so we are truly excited about this unique opportunity,” Baker said. “I know that people don’t like change, but there’s going to be disruptions with lane closures and construction vehicles, but it will all be worth it. We want people to be patient because, in the end, the result is going to be a beautiful building that our students and our university family can be proud of when we open the doors in 2017 and 2018.”

Steven Gagliano is a writer for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at steven.gagliano@hottytoddy.com. 
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