It's March and as the weather warms up, so does the pace on Campus Commons construction.
If you haven't been to Greeley in a while, then you may be surprised by the tremendous changes happening south of the University Center on the site of the future Campus Commons.
What used to be the UC south parking lot, is now an active construction site. Fencing went up at the start of spring semester, along with banners illustrating the future building design for passing students and faculty.
Development and Alumni Relations staff and students toured the site this month to record updates and share news with project donors.
"The progress is incredible to see first-hand," says Allie Steg Haskett '03, assistant vice president for development. "And we want to share that with our donors because they believe in our vision. They know that the Campus Commons will support our students and fill a vital need among our arts programs."
The Campus Commons is designed to house many student-serving and community-facing departments, including a reimagined student services team currently titled One-Stop; the offices of admissions, alumni relations and Center for Career Readiness among others; and the most notable feature of the new building - a 600 seat performance hall, accompanied by new rehearsal and gallery space for the College of Performing and Visual Arts.
Funding for Campus Commons is a combination of state investment, donor funding and bonds backed by a portion of the student capital fee. Donor support for the building has come in at all levels, with gifts made by alumni, parents, friends, university employees, foundations and local corporations.
"Because our donor base is so broad, we have an opportunity to think creatively about how we communicate, engage and thank donors for their investment in the Campus Commons," says Steg Haskett. "Video is one way that we can reach our donors, many of whom are not on campus, and we're already planning for our next update."
Donor support for the Campus Commons is also the momentum behind the launch of the university's first comprehensive campaign to raise funds for all areas of campus need, including scholarships, research, faculty development and program support.
Alumni and donors interested in supporting the Campus Commons can make a gift online, join the Performance Hall seat campaign or contact the Office of Development at donor.relations@unco.edu to discuss gift and naming opportunities.
View of the UC from the Campus Commons construction site.
Student Advancement Ambassadors Phoebe, Logan and Jenny record updates and donor messages.
Student Advancement Ambassador Jenny records a donor update from the future quad connecting Campus Commons and the UC.
View of the construction site facing South from the UC ballroom patio.
Pan of the construction site facing North and West toward the UC.
