ASUnited (Arizona State University WeBlog)

The MU renovation is underway!

Yes, our school colors are still maroon and gold but this fall semester the MU will be encouraging a more “environmentally friendly” atmosphere by going green. If you’ve happened to pass by the Memorial Union building this summer you’ll have noticed the long line of chain-link fences encompassing the structure. About a month ago I walked by at night and the construction crew was busy at work trying to finish up the newly renovated stairwells and outside patio area (I guess it’s a little warm to be engaging in too much hard physical labor during the scorching summer days here in Tempe so they tend to do most of their damage during the night hours when there is less susceptibility to UV exposure and skin damage). At any rate, the “NEW MU” (kind of has a catchy tone to it huh?) will be in full service come next fall for ASU students.

The renovation plans came as a result of the recent fire that took blaze in the building last November 1st which was the cause of our not being able to partake of the convenient facilities offered by the MU for what seemed like forever. I’m sure we all would rather forget those trying times I know. Nevertheless, it happened and on a happy note, we’re getting an upgraded version this year.

There are four main areas of focus for the renovations. One is to upgrade the audio and visual systems in the ballrooms on the second floor. Sounds like the parties, social gathering, and business meetings in the ballrooms will have a little more flare in them in the near future with these upgrades. The second is to redesign the current stairwells and construct additional stairwells. This is what I saw outside near the patio. They were working on a new stairwell that is going to lead to an area they plan to call the “Starlight Terrace.” This area will have added shade outside so you won’t have to sit in the fiery sun while eating your breaded chicken breast from Chic-Fillet. Finally, they plan to have a sustainable restaurant that will use only organic foods that have been locally grown. The restaurant is said to be more environmentally friendly and will be the main area of focus for trying to structure the building in a manner that would enable it to be LEED certified. Leadership in Energy and Environmental design (LEEDS) is a certificate given for buildings that engage in energy efficient practices such as recycling, using organic foods, and running on energy efficient appliances.

So as you can see we’re in for a treat come next semester. They say that summer students are still able to access the MU and some of its facilities and businesses, but I’m not sure what all is accessible and what is not. I’m sure that not everything is open as there seems to be a lot of jack-hammering, sawing, nailing, and concrete laying going on. I guess that means “enter at your own risk” for summer students.

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