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MARSHALL UNIVERSITY
New alumni center could be ready by December
The new Erikson Alumni Center at Marshall University has suffered a few delays but officials are hoping to have the building move-in ready by sometime in December.
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HUNTINGTON -- The Erikson Alumni Center, new home of the Marshall Alumni Association and the Marshall University Foundation, is almost finished.
"Ground was broken in the spring of 2007," said Ron Area, CEO of the Marshall Foundation and senior vice president for development at Marshall. "John Kinzer, a board member of the MU foundation, was the interim CEO when construction started. His hard work in putting together the Alumni Association and the Marshall Foundation into one really made this happen.
"The other volunteer who has stepped in is a former board member of the MU foundation who agreed to be a consultant is Tim Haymaker, a developer out of Lexington, Ky. He agreed on a volunteer basis with others on the staff as well as the architect and the contractor to make sure this is one of the best built buildings on campus."
The 33,320-square-foot building will serve a variety of functions. It was designed by architect Sherman Carter. The building will include both an alumni lounge and a grand conference hall for a variety of social events.
"We are looking at late November for completion of the building," Area said. "We have had a number of delays because of rain. The biggest thing is to get the asphalt down and the parking lot to the west of the building done in the next week or two and the circle drive for the front entrance has to be in. "Those are the two critical things we have to get done. If the building is completed on schedule, the staff will begin moving in December."
While work is being done on the asphalt outside, some final touches are being done on the inside of the building. Walls are being painted, while carpet and tile is being prepared for the floor. Doors are also being installed.
"Electronic equipment will start being installed next week," Area said. "We are fine tuning to make sure the lights are put in place. We probably won't be putting in any landscaping until the spring. The offside patio needs to be finished. The benches in the area need to be put out. The key staff that we hired to oversee the operation of the building is our event coordinator and building manager Krystle Nichols."
Once completed, Area said it will likely take the staff a good two weeks to move in. The building on 5th Avenue currently used by the Alumni Association and the space in Old Main used by the Marshall Foundation will be turned back over to the university. No official plans have been announced as to their future uses.
Area hopes the moves will be complete before Christmas.
The official grand opening ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 26.
The new building will have Wi-Fi, multimedia and teleconferencing capabilities. About 85 percent of the building's rooms have been named.
"We have been very fortunate to have a significant number of alumni who have made gifts in the construction of the building," Area said. "The alumni lounge has been named for Nate Ruffin, a player who ended up being the captain of the football team after the plane crash in the 1970."
"This lounge will probably seat 35 or so people, and it will be a nice gathering place for alumni with three flat-screens and a little bar area. It's going to be a classy spot to watch away games or other activities."
The new building will also feature a conference center, which will have room to seat about 200 for dinner. There will be other table configurations for larger crowds. The conference room can be subdivided into two sections with a movable wall. The building will also feature a catering kitchen, small conference rooms and stairway reception areas for weddings and other social events.
