Wednesday, August 18, 2004

UNIVERSITY UNION

Renovation and Expansion

FACT SHEET

The original University Union was completed in 1983, when the student population of UNCW was approximately 5,000. The Warwick Center opened in 1991.

The University Union and Warwick Center are open seven days a week for an average of 15 hours a day to accommodate student organization meetings, new student orientation, major lectures, academic conferences and community-wide workshops. The union supports almost 11,000 events per year with over 400,000 people in attendance.

Plans for the anticipated renovation and construction project include an overall expansion of the facilities from the existing 96,000 square feet to more than 166,000 square feet that will encompass the Burney Student Support Center.

The completed facility will include a new ballroom that will be approximately 35 percent larger than the existing Warwick Center ballroom. It will seat approximately 600 for a banquet and approximately 900 in an auditorium-style arrangement.

The new University Union will be home to a movie theatre that will seat approximately 350 people. Projection formats will include 16mm, 35mm, video and DVD. This space would also be appropriate for smaller lectures, performances and plenary sessions for conferences.

A new café will be located near the theatre to provide pre- and post-movie options for snacks and coffee. A game room and a television lounge will be located nearby.

The University Union will house the student involvement center and the student media center.

Career Services, the Dean of Students Office, the Center for Leadership Education and Service and the Seahawk Perch (the commuter and non-traditional student lounge and service center) will all be located within easy reach of one another.

Retail services in the University Union will expand, but continue to include traditional services such as the bookstore, the post office and a copy center.

The new and improved University Union will include the following:

• New multi-purpose space (35 percent larger than existing Warwick Center Ballroom; seating for 900 auditorium-style or 600 banquet-style)

• Student involvement and student media centers

• Movie theatre (seating for approximately 350)

• Student support services:

Career Services Dean of Students Office

Leadership education center Commuter and non-traditional student lounge and service center

• Retail services for students, faculty and staff

University bookstore Post office

Dittos copy center Convenience store

Additional food service and dining spaces in three locations to seat approximately 570 (up from 365)

• Lounge spaces (television lounge, quiet study areas, group study areas)

Renovation and construction associated with the University Union and Burney Center is funded through revenues generated in these facilities (bookstore, food service, retail operations) and student fees. The student fee will increase approximately $115 for the first phase of construction (the addition) and $45 for phases two and three of construction (renovation of the union and Burney Center).

Several other state institutions have either completed or are in the midst of planning for new and improved student unions. These institutions include: UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Charlotte and UNC Greensboro.

Warwick Center will eventually house a variety of student services including financial aid and veterans’ services, cashier, student accounts, international programs and auxiliary services. The ballroom will continue to operate as a multipurpose space.

Architects

Moser Mayer Phoenix Associates of Greensboro, N.C.

Burt Hill Kosar Rittelmann Associates of Philadelphia, Pa.

Livermore Edwards and Associates of Waltham, Mass.

Construction Manager at Risk

Barnhill Contracting Company

Cost

$29.2 million - funding sources include: student fees (union debt service), bookstore and food service revenue contributions

Square Footage 166,123 square feet

Burney Center renovation: 23,196 square feet

University Union addition: 70,536 square feet

Union renovation: 72,391 square feet