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UE's New Student Center an Eye-Popper
Construction is slated to begin this summer on the William L. Ridgway University Center. A fall 2008 opening is planned. "When our students saw the plans, they were really excited," said Dana Clayton, vice president of student affairs and dean of students. "They want it to open tomorrow." The existing Ridgway Center will be razed to accommodate the improved version. It will be UE's largest building. University officials envision the upgraded Ridgway Center as the campus "living room," where students will gather daily to dine, lounge and interact, Clayton said. On the lower level, Ridgway Center will have an information area, cafeteria facilities, the Aces Place convenience store, ATM machines, the University Bookstore (which will relocate from across Lincoln Avenue), the Underground lounge and recreational area and Jazzman's coffee bar and cafe. Ridgway's upper level will become the new home of WUEV-91.FM, the popular campus radio station that airs jazz music and UE athletic events. The station has been in Olmsted Administration Hall for many years. The upper level will also have offices for student organizations, two casual lounges and one study lounge, offices of the Crescent newspaper and LinC yearbook and Eykamp Hall, a 500-seat auditorium that can divide to make smaller meeting areas. UE students had input in the design process, according to Clayton. "The exciting thing is that we will have one dedicated space where students can come together and build a community," Clayton said. "... I think it's really going to transform the campus." There will be short-term inconveniences while Ridgway is being rebuilt, Clayton said. Various amenities in the existing student center will be relocated during the 2007-08 academic year. Architects for the project are Hafer & Associates of Evansville and Mackey Mitchell of St. Louis. The university center is named for William L. Ridgway, a UE trustee since 1975 and recipient of UE's Medal of Honor, the university's highest award. A graduate of Central High School and Evansville College, Ridgway had an ophthalmology practice in San Francisco for 40 years. He came back to Evansville in 1989 when he retired, and has made numerous major gifts to UE over the years. He purchased Harlaxton Manor in Grantham, England, in 1986 and donated it to UE. The building is now the home of UE's British campus, where 150 students study each semester. Ridgway has supported scholarships and donated over the years to renovations of the existing university center bearing his name. Demolition of the current building will begin shortly after UE's graduation, and work on the new one will begin soon thereafter. "We are so grateful for the generosity of Dr. Ridgway in helping to provide the University Center for this campus," Clayton said. |
The
University of Evansville's new $23.6 million student center
will pack plenty of "wow" factor into its 90,000 square
feet, according to UE officials.