FSU - Student Union Expansion

http://www.fsunews.com/story/news/2017/01/08/student-union-renovation-project-officially-underway/96316854/

With the New Year comes major change to FSU’s campus: a renovated and rejuvenated Oglesby Student Union.
Architecture and design teams are working hard to gather student input and strategize a larger, more inclusive union to go alongside the soon-to-be reconstruction of the adjacent Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, or EOAS, building.
According to FSU’s Design and Construction Director Larry Rubin, the next year and a half will be spent on design and programming and construction won’t get started until summer of 2018. Phase I of the project is estimated to be finished by 2020, and in total may include up to four phases.

The 100,000 new square feet of the student union space will include student government offices, union publications, Greek life spaces and new ballrooms as well as retail and commercial space with exterior patios similar to the current union.
However, it isn’t only up to the design team to determine what changes need to be made to the union. Rubin admitted the need for more input from students, and explained that as the project moves forward his team will work with the Division of Student Affairs to put together some committees to gain insight from student groups.
“The students will have input, everybody’s voice will be heard,” remarked Rubin. “Right now we have a program, a budget and a schedule, and it’s a starting point. What that allows us to do is to see how it fits into a physical area.”
It is still to be determined if any part of the Oglesby Union will remain in its current state. Phase I focuses on demolishing the northwest corner of the union by Subway and replacing it with a new, much larger building to accommodate the ever-growing student population. The southwest corner of the union is set to remain at least through Phase I of construction, but may be renovated.
Rubin explained that his team is hoping to work with Aramark to replace some of the restaurants between Subway and Club Downunder, but much of the new space will be allocated very differently.
“In the new student housing that we are building over on Jefferson there will be six food concepts in the lobby, so that will defer some of the loss over at the union,” said Rubin. “We would like to put some more commercial food concepts back in the union, but the majority of space will be for student activities.”
The reason behind the student union redesign stems from the massive growth of the university since its original inception in the 60s. Unlike other buildings on campus that have gotten major renovations done since their establishment, like the William Johnston Building, the union has been largely overlooked. Having gone so long without any major updates, the union is long overdue for a complete makeover.
“I think one of the benefits of the student union is that it’s in the center of campus, and so I think the goal is to have the union for all students,” said Rubin. “I think it will be even more inclusive, even more the power of we, and more modern, updated and current services that the students can benefit from.”
The new union will have the traditional design aesthetic of the red brick shown through every building on campus, but with a modern twist. Designed to be constructed alongside its neighbor, the new EOAS building, the Woodward Avenue/Tennessee Street entrance to campus will have a completely new look.

The projected view from the Tennessee Street/Woodward Ae intersection, with the student union on the left and the new EOAS building on the right. (Photo: Courtesy of)

Rubin explained that after the demolition of Conradi and the Geological Survey building, the view of FSU from Tennessee Street changed instantly for the better. He expects the same from the reconstructed union and EOAS buildings.
“As you come down Tennessee street, we are finally going to start changing the view of campus,” explained Rubin. “Once we put a new building up in place of the Geological Survey building and we finish Phase I of the union, we will really start to change the image of FSU from Tennessee Street, and I think that will really be profound. I think it will show people that there is something going on at FSU.”

http://www.urbantallahassee.com/index.php/projects1/item/909-fsu-student-union-expansion

Value of Improvements: $52,500,000.00
ETA: Summer 2020
Description: The proposed project consists of approximately 110,000 SF of new Student Union space located in the northwest corner of the current Union site on the main campus of the Florida State University. The new facility will house spaces for the Student Activities, Student Government, multi-purpose Ballrooms, Greek Life, Student Lounge, meeting spaces, retail/dining spaces, and exterior plazas.