Building a campus center seems simple enough. Just throw together some dining facilities, study areas and socializing space. However, plans for the new campus center change on a regular basis and often the center seems as if it will never happen. But with the beginning of alterations to Palmer Hall, the vision of a new campus center is starting to materialize.
Asbestos abatement and other interior work have begun inside Palmer Hall, but official construction will not begin until summer, said Director of Physical Planning John Hlafter '61. The center is scheduled to be completed by January 2000.
In initial steps to remove the academic departments from Palmer Hall, this semester's physics classes have relocated to McDonnell Hall. Additionally, the Council of Regional Studies, which includes Russian, African and European studies, moved to a three-room suite at 5 Ivy Lane in December, said assistant to the Director of the Council on Regional Studies Joyce Slack.
She said she is unaware of whether the location is permanent, but she expects the council to be there for at least a few years.
In addition to the physical construction activity at Palmer Hall, many administrative plans are in the works. In December, the USG passed a resolution recommending that the center, or at least the dining and study facilities, be open 24 hours per day said USG president David Ascher '99.
In the plans, the Gest Oriental Library will remain in Palmer Hall, though it will be expanded during construction, said Dana Berneman '99, a member of the Campus Center Committee and chair of the Undergraduate Life Committee.
Potential pub
The inclusion of a pub in the campus center remains uncertain. "There are issues concerning permits," Lee McGuire '98, a member of the Campus Center Committee, said. If the pub is included, he said he is unsure whether underage students would be allowed into the pub.
"Would an area in the campus center where some students couldn't go still be in the spirit of center?" McGuire asked. Questions also exist regarding the economic feasibility of a pub. He explained that a previous campus pub in Chancellor Green failed.
The plans for the campus center continue to change frequently. "Things we didn't think students would use, we removed (from the plans)," Berneman said. "There is a shortage of space even with how big (the building) is."
Due to exams, the Campus Center Committee has not met since the middle of December, leaving members uncertain of recent developments. "Things get changed daily," Berneman said.
Theater
One proposed feature of the campus center is a theater. "The theater is continually being changed for the better," McGuire explained. "It's still in flux." Though the size of the theater remains a constant, architects have changed the seating arrangement to include more people and added a backstage area, he said.
The campus center project is operating on a fixed budget which "ultimately determines" what goes into the center, Berneman said. According to Hlafter, the cost of the campus center including everything from construction to furnishings is set at $48.5 million.
The future of the current student center has yet to be decided. "No final decisions have been made," Hlafter said. However, he said that the current cafeteria could be converted into academic offices to relieve some of the crowding in East Pyne. The space could also be used to install an elevator with access to the upper and lower floors of East Pyne, Hlafter added.
"Chancellor Green will likely remain open," Ascher said. Hlafter explained that "it would be desirable to continue having some sort of snack bar or cafe," though he was unsure what form it would take.
"The replacement of Chancellor Green represents a significant change in campus life," Ascher said.
"This is a landmark in Princeton's history," Ascher explained. "The campus center will transform undergraduate life for the better. It will be a meeting place, a hangout and a study room all in one facility."
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