AU reopened Nebraska Hall and the first floor of Mary Graydon Center this month after crews finished renovations at both locations.
There were four long-term goals for the renovation of MGC's first floor, Michael Elmore, senior director of the University Center, said in an e-mail. One of the goals was to open up the space of the first floor, allowing for a more spacious environment where a wider variety of activities could be held. A second goal of the project was to relieve the flow of traffic on the floor. A third goal was to create a more accessible and effective information kiosk for the floor. The final goal was to use new furniture, flooring and lighting to expand the versatility of the Tavern and allow for it to better accommodate its assorted purposes.
"The hope is that students will feel free to eat, study, meet or hang out in any of the table or lounge areas of the first floor," Elmore said.
The university decided to renovate Mary Graydon Center's first floor in 2005, Jorge Abud, assistant vice president of Facilities and Administrative Services, said in an e-mail.
"Since the Mary Graydon first floor was last renovated in 1996, its finishes were dated and the floor plan needed to be modified to respond to changes in use," he said. "Small changes to Mary Graydon are [made] almost every year, but the plan for the extensive renovation of the first floor was developed in 2005."
The new first floor of MGC is more versatile, and its design turned out well, said Christine Caruso, a sophomore in the Kogod School of Business.
While Katie Lock said she liked the changes to the Tavern, she was uncertain about the effect of the rest of the renovation, said the sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.
"I can't tell if it is an improvement," she said.
The Marketplace's hours of operation have been extended. The Marketplace will now be open until 6 p.m. from Monday to Thursday. Previously, it had only been open until 3 p.m., Chris Moody, the executive director of the Housing and Dining Programs, said in an e-mail.
"The Mary Graydon Center project will bring new life and energy to the dining areas on the first floor," he said.
Elmore also discussed possibilities for future new developments on campus.
"We are looking to the next opportunity, on the third floor of Mary Graydon, to continue the progress we made here," he said.
In addition to the reopening of MGC's first floor, Aug. 17 marked the reopening of Nebraska Hall as an apartment-style residence hall.
Nebraska Hall houses 113 students and the family of School of Communication Professor Wendell Cochran, according to an e-mail President-elect Neil Kerwin sent to all members of the AU community Aug. 9.
The university closed Nebraska Hall in early 2006 to begin construction. All hazardous materials from the building were removed, and its internal structure was torn down, said Ferda Guzey, assistant university architect.
Once the demolition concluded, crews built the new interiors and made changes to the building's exterior appearance, she said.
Each suite in the hall contains a complete kitchen, including a full-size fridge, an oven and a microwave; a living room with chairs and couches and individual bedrooms for all the suite's occupants with double beds.
"It's better and bigger than I expected," said Matt Valdiva, a sophomore in the School of International Service and a resident of Nebraska Hall.
Nebraska Hall was previously a nursing home until 1983 when AU purchased the building. The building was then used as a residence hall until 1998, Abud said.
"In 1998 we stopped its use as a residence hall and instead used it as temporary quarters for offices and art studios in order to facilitate renovation and construction of several academic buildings," Abud said. "After that round of construction was completed, it was decided to return Nebraska to residence hall use"
