thelantern
New Ohio Union project under way
Students could be forced to pay up to $55 per quarter for construction
Sarah Zaremba
Issue date: 10/10/06
Media Credit: Matthew Hashiguchi
Construction on the Ohio Union is slated to begin in February of 2007. The new student union will cost around $115 million and is expected to open in 2010.
Ohio State students could be hit with a $20 to $55 fee to pay for the new Ohio Union.
The Union is expected to close in February to allow demolition of the 56-year-old building and break ground on a new student union on the same site.
The $115 million project was approved by the Board of Trustees and will be funded by four different sources: central funds from the university, capital funds from the Office of Student Affairs, union earnings and a student fee, which will go into effect when the new building opens, said Marie Thornhill, assistant director at the Ohio Union.
According to the Ohio Union Replacement Project report to the Fiscal Affairs Committee, an estimated $100 million of the project would be coming from the student fee.
The new union is expected to open in 2010.
Xen Riggs, assistant vice president for Student Affairs, said no price has been finalized. The exact price cannot be decided until the project is finished, but it is estimated the student fee for the union could be in place for about 20 years.
Riggs said the hope is to keep the fee as low as possible with the help of fundraising.
"(Students are) literally paying for the physical building and that is it," Riggs said.
Students have been involved in every aspect of the process, from approval to design, and have visited student unions at different schools in hopes of improving the union. As of now, OSU has the oldest and second-smallest student union among all the Big Ten schools, Riggs said.
Thornhill said the original Union was the first student union at a public university in the U. S.
"(The union) was a benchmark when it was first created. We want to make sure to put the Ohio Union and the university back on the map," Thornhill said.
The new union will feature a bigger, more versatile structure that plans to include a performance hall, larger student organization offices, senate chambers and much more.
Until the new building is completed, all the services the Union currently offers are being re-routed to new locations on campus during construction, Thornhill said.
Many of the student organizations as well as the Office of Student Affairs, the SOURCE, student governments, Explore Columbus and the Union information center will be sharing a home with OSU's football team.
Starting in January, students can access these services between gates 22 and 24 at the Ohio Stadium.
Although formal hours have not been set, the services located at the stadium plan to maintain longer-than-normal business hours.
"We're trying our best to accommodate students with as long as hours as possible in that location," Thornhill said.
In addition, Thornhill said the Union is making the effort to take good care of its clients during the transition by creating "events to go."
The Ohio Union Event Services created a "super long" binder filled with various meeting spaces available on and near campus. "Events to go" can help find an event space and will bring everything needed to the location, such as tables, chairs, AV equipment and much more.
Students, however, are more concerned with food options than services.
"I really don't use it all that much, just for the food and the bank," said Nick Zachman, a second-year student studying medical technology.
Marietta Belfanti, a sophomore in molecular genetics agreed and said she hopes the new Union incorporates more meal plan options.
"(It) would be really nice because there really isn't a whole lot to do there. Only Woody's takes swipes," Belfanti said.
Thornhill said one of the improvements the new Union plans to offer is more meal-plan availability. Although nothing has been finalized, Campus Dining Services will offer a concept of fresh food options equivalent to the Marketplace as well as a 24-hour diner.
"There's going to be more space for students and better offerings. Students deserve a better union than what we have now," Thornhill said.
For updates on the Ohio Union project, visit ohiounion.osu.edu.
New Ohio Union project under way
Students could be forced to pay up to $55 per quarter for construction
Sarah Zaremba
Issue date: 10/10/06
Construction on the Ohio Union is slated to begin in February of 2007. The new student union will cost around $115 million and is expected to open in 2010.
Ohio State students could be hit with a $20 to $55 fee to pay for the new Ohio Union.
The Union is expected to close in February to allow demolition of the 56-year-old building and break ground on a new student union on the same site.
The $115 million project was approved by the Board of Trustees and will be funded by four different sources: central funds from the university, capital funds from the Office of Student Affairs, union earnings and a student fee, which will go into effect when the new building opens, said Marie Thornhill, assistant director at the Ohio Union.
According to the Ohio Union Replacement Project report to the Fiscal Affairs Committee, an estimated $100 million of the project would be coming from the student fee.
The new union is expected to open in 2010.
Xen Riggs, assistant vice president for Student Affairs, said no price has been finalized. The exact price cannot be decided until the project is finished, but it is estimated the student fee for the union could be in place for about 20 years.
Riggs said the hope is to keep the fee as low as possible with the help of fundraising.
"(Students are) literally paying for the physical building and that is it," Riggs said.
Students have been involved in every aspect of the process, from approval to design, and have visited student unions at different schools in hopes of improving the union. As of now, OSU has the oldest and second-smallest student union among all the Big Ten schools, Riggs said.
Thornhill said the original Union was the first student union at a public university in the U. S.
"(The union) was a benchmark when it was first created. We want to make sure to put the Ohio Union and the university back on the map," Thornhill said.
The new union will feature a bigger, more versatile structure that plans to include a performance hall, larger student organization offices, senate chambers and much more.
Until the new building is completed, all the services the Union currently offers are being re-routed to new locations on campus during construction, Thornhill said.
Many of the student organizations as well as the Office of Student Affairs, the SOURCE, student governments, Explore Columbus and the Union information center will be sharing a home with OSU's football team.
Starting in January, students can access these services between gates 22 and 24 at the Ohio Stadium.
Although formal hours have not been set, the services located at the stadium plan to maintain longer-than-normal business hours.
"We're trying our best to accommodate students with as long as hours as possible in that location," Thornhill said.
In addition, Thornhill said the Union is making the effort to take good care of its clients during the transition by creating "events to go."
The Ohio Union Event Services created a "super long" binder filled with various meeting spaces available on and near campus. "Events to go" can help find an event space and will bring everything needed to the location, such as tables, chairs, AV equipment and much more.
Students, however, are more concerned with food options than services.
"I really don't use it all that much, just for the food and the bank," said Nick Zachman, a second-year student studying medical technology.
Marietta Belfanti, a sophomore in molecular genetics agreed and said she hopes the new Union incorporates more meal plan options.
"(It) would be really nice because there really isn't a whole lot to do there. Only Woody's takes swipes," Belfanti said.
Thornhill said one of the improvements the new Union plans to offer is more meal-plan availability. Although nothing has been finalized, Campus Dining Services will offer a concept of fresh food options equivalent to the Marketplace as well as a 24-hour diner.
"There's going to be more space for students and better offerings. Students deserve a better union than what we have now," Thornhill said.
For updates on the Ohio Union project, visit ohiounion.osu.edu.
