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Posted on: April 13th, 2014 No Comments

University plans summer construction projects


Over the summer, while the majority of students will be home for break, construction workers will keep the campus bustling as usual with two more projects that are set to start.

The first is a new center stage for campus, which Student Life Director Mitch Karstens refered to as the Ellipse Project.

The university will attend this week’s Grand Junction City Council meeting to propose the indefinite closing of Cannell Street to accommodate the project.

This won’t be the only street removal either. The Ellipse project is becoming a part of what the school calls North Mall. The construction will take out what’s left of College Place, the street that passes in front of Monument and Walnut Ridge apartments. In between these residence halls and the newly-minted Escalante, wide sidewalks, similar to what’s in front of Wubben Science Hall, will be added.

“That will be between the University Center, Monument Hall, Dominguez Hall and Escalante,” Karstens said. “That’s where we’ll be doing the foam party, Rockestra and that kind of big stuff. It should be able to fit 4,000 to 5,000 people in it.”

In place of the parking spaces being torn up behind Escalante Hall, a new rugby pitch will be made. The rugby pitch might call for some redirecting of traffic as well.

“I don’t think too many people know. It’s bigger than a football field, by a lot,” Karstens said. “It’s actually going to cross Cannell Street, so that is no longer going to be a through street.” Karstens said.

The second summer project moves to the inside of the University Center, starting with the game room.

According to Karstens, the game room will maintain its original functionality, but an effort is being made to move The Point inside.

“We’re going to take some space on the west side of the University Center and make a patio so people can sit outside and have a drink,” Karstens said.

The game systems and pool tables will remain where they are, and students under 21 can still go inside.

Across the hall, the Fireplace Lounge will be given a coffee shop and lounge where students can study or hang out. The two leading retail candidates to take up this space, according to Karstens, are Starbucks or Dazbog, and a student survey will be sent to identify the students’ preference.

This coffee shop eliminates the need for a Jazzman’s, so the Bookcliff space will be renovated in a project slotted for next year. The school is looking to add another retail space there, and those leading names will cause a debate between Qdoba, Chipotle or Jimmy Johns. Another student survey will be sent out next year as those plans reach their final stages.

Finally, the CMU Bookstore’s entrance will undergo surgery this summer.

“The bookstore, they are going to push up in front of that dark hallway and make it more of a store front,” Karstens said. “There’s no real sign that says this is the entrance of the bookstore, so we can put up mannequins and advertise sales.”

The UC renovations must be finished by August 14.

brjthomp@mavs.coloradomesa.edu

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