Sharwan Smith Student Center Undergoes Summer Renovations
Published: July 13, 2016 | Author: Emily Ronquillo | Read Time: 1 minutes
Students, faculty, staff and visitors will notice major changes to the Southern Utah University Sharwan Smith Student Center before school begins in the fall. Among those changes include relocating several offices, adding a clearstory in the main hallway, applying fresh paint and replacing the flooring to modernize the look and feel of the building while also serving student needs.
Facilities Management Executive Director Tiger Funk said the main goal of the project is to keep the building up to date and reflect university branding with the interior design.
“Keeping our buildings in top condition and providing innovative spaces plays a key role in attracting new students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus,” said Funk.
Ben Johnson, director of construction services, said being named “University of the Parks” has influenced the renovation. The extension of the clearstory will bring more light into the building and moving the Outdoor Recreation Center to the main hallway will make renting equipment easier for all students.
The previous roofing in the main hallway had reached the end of its life and was in need of a replacement. Capital improvement funds from the Utah Legislature helped construct the clearstory to bring more natural light into the space.
The total cost of the project is around $1.5 million with about $900,000 coming from student fees collecting over the last couple of years.
Offices began moving out of the student center earlier in the year, but the major renovations began in early June. The project is expected to be completed by the end of summer, just before the majority of students arrive for the fall semester.
MESA was hired as the architects for the project. Carter Enterprises is working on the flooring throughout the center, Zwick Construction is doing the clearstory and Nichols Building LLC is renovating the Outdoor Recreation Center.
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