Wayne State University’s Student Center Set for $18 Million Renovation
As the number of students who choose to live on campus grows larger, the Wayne State University Board of Governors approved a much-needed $18 million renovation for the existing Student Center.
By Veronica Grecu, Associate Editor
Wayne State University Student Center – Renovation Rendering
As the number of students who choose to live on campus grows larger, the Wayne State University Board of Governors approved a much-needed $18 million renovation for the existing Student Center.
According to the university’s student newspaper The South End, the 50-year-old structure at 221 Gullen Mall in Midtown Detroit will get a complete facelift by August 2015 but the building will not be closed during the process. Following a Request for Proposals issued in August 2012, the university tapped Neumann Smith + WTW Architects to design this project.
Reportedly, the building’s first three floors will have a very open layout, while the remaining floors will get more windows to maximize natural light and create a space where students can study, relax and eat. Plans call for a new 3,000-square-foot U-Club and a 4,100-square-foot gaming lounge on the lower floor, as well as an expanded dining area, a dance room and renovated office space. The next floor will have new student lounge spaces and dining areas totaling 9,000 square feet and a new convenience store that the university has yet to name. More student lounges, meeting areas and a new ballroom will occupy the entire second floor, while the third floor will include recreation and logging areas along with office space.
Crain’s Detroit Business says that the $18 million Student Center renovation is part of Wayne State University’s $170 million plan to add around 115,000 square feet of new construction in Detroit and Warren by the end of the 2015-2016 academic year. Meanwhile, the university has tapped Broder & Sachse Real Estate Services to develop a nine story residential and retail building on a 1.5-acre site in Midtown. With a completion date set for 2016, the project is expected to help combat the lack of residential inventory in this part of the city.
Rendering by Neumann Smith/WTW Architects via The South End
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