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Nebraska Union renovation rolls on
With the snack stand and the coffee shop moved into the Rotunda Gallery and The Crib still closed, construction on the inside of the Nebraska Union is at full-force.
Charlie Francis, director of the Nebraska Unions, said a majority of the construction should be completed around mid-January.
The project, approved June 7 by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, is limited to the first floor of the City Campus building. The renovation includes new carpet, vinyl flooring, paint, furniture, improvements to the south entrance and a redesign for the information desk and Caffina Café coffee shop.
Construction on Runza, Corn-U-Copia and the Rotunda Gallery will all be completed after students return from winter break, followed by the power and lighting and flooring installation at the end of January, Francis said.
New furniture will be the last to come in and will arrive around spring break.
“There will be a time when the building will be finished and look new and the old furniture will be in there,” Francis said.
Construction on the current information desk and snack stand on the North side of the union will turn the desk into a welcome center for the building. Snacks and soda will be moved to the Caffina Café around the corner.
“Union staff has been working with the bookstore to beef up their offerings in the market,” Francis said. “We’ve been sharing our sales numbers and hours of operation and have encouraged them to extend the hours in the market to offer those products to the university community.” Francis said the project was spurred by student responses received as UNL began updating the campus master plan.
The Crib is also getting a makeover to create a more open space with softer seating and fewer four-top tables. The space will encourage more group study and give more room to sit and socialize, he said.
The space should open around mid-February, Francis said.
A new pizza vendor also will be taking the place of Sbarro in the food court. Union staff has been working with recruitment services to create an agreement with the new vendor. The name of the new vendor has not yet been released, but the new operation hopes to open as early during the spring 2014 semester as possible, Francis said.
