Expansion/Renovation to Provide Unified Location for Student Organizations, Services
Contact: Pat Lopes Harris, 408-656-6999
SAN JOSE, Calif., — San Jose State University will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion and renovation of its Student Union building at noon Nov. 17 on El Paseo de Cesar E. Chavez (the Seventh Street Plaza). This event is free and open to the public. When completed in 2013, the 235,000-square-foot structure will span from the Seventh Street Plaza to the Ninth Street Plaza. Design and construction costs will total $90 million.
“The Student Union expansion and renovation will greatly enhance our efforts to support our students and foster a sense of community, both of which are essential for success inside and outside the classroom,” Interim President Don W. Kassing said. “This project will bring vibrancy to the university’s core, building on the tremendous impact of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library and Campus Village.”
King Library, a $177.5 million high-rise completed in 2003, and Campus Village, a $244 million residential complex completed in 2005, anchor two corners of campus. The new Student Union will centralize many student organizations and services, and feature a food court, coffee house, print shop, and computer center. An existing amphitheater will be converted into an indoor theater and lecture hall.
The project will begin with construction of a new wing on the site of the old cafeteria, and conclude with the earthquake retrofit and renovation of the existing structure, a 144,000-square-foot building completed in 1969. The architect is Perkins + Will.” The general contractor is Lathrop Construction Associates. SJSU will seek LEED Gold certification for the building.
The new Student Union will be financed with bonds, repaid with revenue from various sources including Student Union events, space rentals, and annual student fees. The project will not use funds that could otherwise be spent for academic purposes. Beginning this project during an economic downturn will mean saving money on construction costs, given the drop in demand for such services.
View the Student Union expansion and renovation website.
http://bit.ly/sjsu-morecampuslife
Download a high-resolution rendering.
http://www.sjsu.edu/features/pics/new-studentunion.jpg
San Jose State — Silicon Valley’s largest institution of higher learning with 29,000 students and 3,190 employees — is part of the California State University system. SJSU’s 154-acre downtown campus anchors the nation’s 10th largest city.
