Refined plans outlining proposed renovations to the Nebraska Union will be presented during an open house, 2 to 3 p.m. May 29 in the Nebraska Union's Heritage Room. The session is free and open to faculty, staff and students.
Charlie Francis, director of the Nebraska Unions, said the presentation will include information on two plans — a demolition and rebuild of the middle segments of the building and a smaller, more strategic renovation.
The plans are being developed by Workshop Architects, a Milwaukee-based architecture firm that specializes in student union projects. Representatives of the firm presented three concepts during open houses in April.
"The folks at Workshop took the information from the last visit and used it to refine the plans," Francis said. "People really liked the bigger of the three schemes, so Workshop has focused on creating a more defined option of that plan. They will also present information on a strategic innovation, which will include ways we can, in the interim, make the existing space better for student recruitment."
Images of all three plans are available at http://go.unl.edu/b9r.
The renovation plan to be presented at the May 29 open house calls for the demolition of the second and third additions to the Nebraska Union. These middle sections link the original Nebraska Union (finished in 1938) to the 1999 addition.
Features of the plan include an addition to the west side of the Nebraska Union; opening up the structure to allow more natural light inside; a reshuffle of office space to better reflect the needs of students and help eliminate duplicate functions; shifting the ballroom from the second floor to the third floor, allowing for a more open concept throughout the building; a walk-out roof terrace; and a split-level coffee shop.
Generating the renovation concepts is the first step in redeveloping the Nebraska Union to better serve the needs of students and help with student recruitment. There are no definite plans to move forward with the renovation once a final plan is presented.
UNL joins six other Big Ten institutions that have recently completed or are planning student union expansion or redesign projects.
Northwestern University is developing a $150 million project that may link the student union with the library. Other recent or ongoing Big Ten student union projects include: a $300 million master plan to redevelop three student unions at the University of Michigan; $118 million at Ohio State; $98 million for a new union and $80 million to renovate an old union at Wisconsin; $72 million at Minnesota; and $64 million to renovate and expand at Penn State.
— Troy Fedderson, University Communications