As college campuses around the country emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, many are slow to return to pre-pandemic growth. However, Colorado Mesa University (CMU) proves to be ahead of the curve.
“Construction continues to blaze away,” CMU President John Marshall said.
Two major campus projects are underway: a new theater and a kinesiology building. The Maverick Center and the Moss Performing Arts Center (MPAC) will also undergo renovations alongside these new installations. While the new theater was originally designed to be an extension of the MPAC in the Spring of 2022, it will now be located across campus near the Hotel Maverick.
“The biggest challenge [with the theater] that the design and construction teams found over the summer was the enormous cost [of the] demo. That was just far in excess of what they initially thought,” Marshall said. “We’re looking for every possible way to figure out how to cut costs and get that project back on track.”
Marshall commented that few construction projects are finished without having to compromise either the budget or the timeline; so, most delays are usually made to keep student costs low.
Regardless of the hurdles CMU and its construction partners have had to overcome with the new theater, students are excited. In fact, lots of talk has been growing around the project, as administrators plan for this theater to be the largest-sized performing hall in the Western region of Colorado.
“I think [the plans for the new theater] are really cool,” freshman in business administration Rob Page said. “It is going to draw a lot of people to Grand Junction.”
The new theater is currently nameless, as CMU will continue its tradition of seeking a sizable donation in exchange for naming rights. The theater is currently set to open in Fall 2024. Nonetheless, Mavs can look forward to the kinesiology building opening up in Spring 2023.
“[The Kinesiology building will have] faculty offices, classroom space, labs and then four additional courts and the extension of the track going in there. The academic space, of course, is the most important piece of it, but some additional court space for student activity will be a really nice feature too,” Marshall said.
The Maverick Center’s track extension will be the primary renovation to the gym. It will consist of a sky bridge that connects the track to the new kinesiology building.
Only a few buildings over, CMU is edging on the approval of a new apartment building for students. This building will be an extension of the Wingate dorm, which currently consists of traditional dorm rooms.
“The Wingate Apartments is inching closer to a go decision–we’re locking in financing and trying to make sure we’ve dotted the I’s and crossed the T’s,” Marshall said. “We haven’t quite pressed the go button, but we’re real close.”
If this plan goes through, the Wingate apartment attachment will be finished for students to move in by Fall 2023. Additionally, CMU is considering constructing another apartment building where the current temporary parking is next to Hotel Maverick. However, this concept is still new, and the project might be undertaken by a private company, if at all.
Despite the bounty of construction underway and in sight, there is a notable lack of new parking lots on the agenda. Residential and commuter parking has been a well-known issue with students at CMU; yet, the solution might be quite the opposite: more parking lots.
“We are always trying to extend our parking and all those temporary lots as far as we can. But it is a challenge because it is such a premium to pay for that parking. I think we continue to see that parking is going to get tighter around here,” Marshall said. “I think the real question for students is, can we as a campus continue to embrace more of a sustainable ethic around bikes, pedestrians, skateboards, and other things like that?”
In the face of a rapidly expanding campus, many Mavs, such as Page, are willing to embrace Marshall’s challenge to forgo their car; though some students say that they live too far from the school. Regardless, it is clear that CMU is recovering well from the pandemic times, and that Colorado will continue to see the Western university grow in prominence.
