The University of Michigan experience is not short on iconic buildings. There's the Michigan Stadium, the Law Quad, and the Burton Memorial Tower.
All have received multi-million-dollar renovations or expansions in recent years. The U-M Board of Regents finally added one more iconic structure to that list: the Michigan Union. The nearly 100-year-old building standing vigil at the intersection of South State and South University streets is set to undergo $85 million in upgrades, as part of the most extensive work done on the building since its construction.
The Michigan Union, as it stands today, was initially commissioned in the early 1910s so it could serve as a central gathering place for student life. World War I interrupted its construction, leaving the exterior looking like it does today - but the interior was unfinished. At the time the building was used as a barracks and mess hall by the Student Army Training Corps. Construction wrapped up and it opened in 1919. Click
here for a more extensive history on the structure.
Since then it has served primarily the same purpose serving the student body’s needs. It has hosted everything from lectures to recreational activities, ranging from a bowling alley to a pool hall.
The new renovation to the Michigan Union will carry on that same ideal for the structure. The project will create new social space on the main level while improving and expanding the lounge and study spaces. The courtyard will also be enclosed to accommodate these changes. There will also be new and improved spaces for student organizations and support services, along with new meeting spaces near the ballroom. Click
here for more detail information on the project.
Source: University of Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke
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