University of Delaware Office of Public Relations The Messenger Vol. 6, No. 1/1996 Recognition: A Special Report New Student Center to open this spring Take a stroll into the near future. You're walking through a broad corridor, your heels clicking over shiny, grey-black terrazzo tiles. Neon arches shine overhead. To your right, massive glass panels framed by stately brick columns offer a glimpse of the University Mall. To your left, a large panel of brightly colored letters spell out a variety of food options: Pizza, burgers, tacos.... But, you want to eat your supper on a tablecloth today. So you continue north along the long corridor, walk upstairs and wait to be seated at a full-service restaurant operated by the University's Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management (HRIM) program. Later, you might catch a movie downstairs, stop by the bookstore or play billiards. You can also study under a cathedral ceiling in a restored 19th-century church. This 'dream stroll' will soon be a reality. In April, the University plans to open a new student center at the intersection of South College Avenue and West Main Street. Students, alumni and other members of the campus community will be able to enjoy the new complex, designed by renowned architect Robert Venturi of Philadelphia. Andrew S. Welsh, senior project manager for Wohlsen Construction Co., says the design is eclectic and contemporary. Yet, he adds, traditional columns-composed of brick, limestone and bluestone-blend well with historic Daugherty Hall and the surrounding campus. An adjacent 580-space garage already provides parking for University employees and visitors, says Jim Grimes, traffic manager in the Department of Public Safety. Once completed, the student center will feature a circular driveway adjacent to Daugherty Hall and landscape features to complement the four-story garage. "By building a multi-level parking structure," Tom Vacha, assistant vice president for facilities, points out, "we were able to compress the garage onto one corner of the site and make more room for the complex. It's really going to be a great place for students and for visitors, too." The center was planned, in part, in response to a need for additional student dining facilities, Vacha says. Along with fast- food outlets such as Taco Bell, the new structure will house an upscale restaurant and food service laboratory run by HRIM. Students who help manage the 65-seat dining room will gain hands- on experience in the food-service industry. A teaching-and- demonstration kitchen also is planned. With a $27 million price tag, the student center and parking garage are becoming a reality thanks to private gifts, institutional funds and a bond issue, which will be repaid by student fees as well as revenues from dining services, parking and the bookstore. Private funds are still needed to pay for the $3.2 million HRIM facilities. Thus far, the Marriott Foundation has pledged significant support and various other corporations have contributed $150,000.