After three years of preparation, the final plans for the Student Activity Center await approval by the UT System Board of Regents.
The board is expected to approve the plans for the new building at their May 15 meeting.
The project began in summer 2005 when UT Student Government proposed looking into a study about creating a building "for the students," said Tom Dison, director of the Division of Recreational Sports. The proposed ground-breaking date for the center is this summer, and the building's completion date is scheduled for January 2011.
"We have never spent this much time planning a building like this, but we did so because we knew it was one for the students," Dison said. "We had a lot of student input from open forums and surveys to really get the students' input."
Dison said the University selected and commissioned the Moody-Nolan Inc. design firm to conduct a feasibility study. UT also partnered with the Brailsford & Dunlavey facility planning firm, which conducted a study on how the building would benefit the University.
After the studies were completed, SG voted on a referendum in March 2006 to increase student fees by $65 per semester to pay for the construction and operation of the building. Dison said the fees will not be added to the students' bills until the semester the building is open and ready for use.
The 110,000-square-foot, three-story building will cost $48 million and will be located on the F-11 parking lot next to Gregory Gymnasium.
Rick Archer, an architect for Overland Construction, said the location was ideal because it is in the "heart of the campus."
Government senior Marcus Ceniceros, a former SG vice president and head of the project's student portion, said the University began the design after conducting campus-wide surveys and four forums.
The building will focus on four main themes: sustainability, accessibility, wellness and activity.
The building will be classified as a "silver building" by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, an organization that rewards institutions and companies that construct environmentally friendly structures. This means crews will use enough sustainable materials in the building's construction to earn it the third-best ranking the organization offers.
Ceniceros said the building will also be fully accessible to ensure that all students can use it.
The committee worked with University Health Services to develop different programs that contribute to wellness and activity. He said UT officials will make the building a 24-hour space but that they will set aside time for cleaning and maintenance.
Archer said the building will house several different amenities for student use. Some of the areas include spaces designed for outdoor use, a postal center, food court and 24-hour coffee shop, as well as meditation and office spaces.
"We are drawing inspiration from all over campus," Archer said. "We are looking at the romanticism of the campus, the University skyline and the Texas traditions. We have a few surprises, one of which is taking Texas photographs and making them into stained glass windows all around the building."
Ceniceros said he hopes this building will attract prospective students to the University and help future students come together as a community.
"With the activity spaces, we want all things that are pertinent to our generation of students," Ceniceros said. "Our generation is a little more concerned and aware of the issues. We are also a really caring community, and this is a building we can share with each other day to day."
