Many offices in Talley Student Center are preparing to move into their reassigned workspaces in Harrelson Hall as part of the Talley Renovation Project.
The offices expected to vacate Talley are: Union Activities Board, Student Organization Resource Center, Campus Activities, CSLEPS, Women’s Center, Multicultural Student Affairs, Chaplains Cooperative Ministry, GLBT Center, Senate Hall, Student Union Administration and Facilities Management, and Food Service and Catering. University Legal Services is also expected to move to Harrelson.
Shannon Johnson, director of the Women’s Center, said she does not know when they are moving, but the renovation is something that has been in talks at the University.
“We don’t know when we’re moving yet, there are timelines out there that we’re considering. “The talks were happening five years ago, so the [discussion] about renovations weren’t sudden. This was a long term plan.”
The campus bookstore will also be new addition to the Talley Center. Richard Hayes, director of the campus bookstore, said that they have known for a year that the bookstore was going to be demolished as part of the Talley renovation and expansion process.
Johnson said the temporary office locations are convenient while construction is going on.
“There is a convenience factor of being on the Brickyard because that’s where students are during the day on the academic side. There will be challenge in letting people know where we are and how to find us. We won’t have access to the meeting rooms, and the ballroom will be off limits, but the offices affected are trying to work collaboratively to make this work successfully.”
Hayes said the move is going to be great for the students to be next to the Brickyard and the Atrium. However, he acknowledges there are downsides.
“It’s not going to be easy, but it will be a perfect placement for a bookstore in the academic place of campus. The space will be smaller, located on the lower level of Harrelson.”
Johnson views the move as necessary for its purpose for the time being.
“It’s a temporary move. Harrelson is a swing space…considered as an academic building, not a student center, but we recommend it as a temporary setting. [With the new Student Center] the offices will be better [and it will] service students better. [It’s] worth the inconvenience.”
Hayes said students will be notified about the temporary location for the bookstore.
“We’re going to have an in depth marketing program for students and customer base direct emails. [Also], we’ll use the Technician, Facebook, Twitter….We’re looking forward to it and we’re kind of excited.”
In 2008, the Student Life Master Plan advocating for a new student center was completed, giving the Talley Building Committee and architects the chance to model a student center adequate for University lifestyle. Construction will begin in the later part of 2011 and the new Talley Student Center is predicted to be complete in August 2014, according to the renovation website.
When the Talley Student Center was first built in 1972, the University’s student population was 14,000. The growing enrollment and technological advances requires a new Talley
Student Center to provide students will better resources. The $120 million this project is expected to consume will come from auxiliary service contributions and student fees, as stated of the Talley Renovations Website.
