Construction to convert the Turck formal lounge to a campus meeting space and common area, following its use as a temporary art space, is expected to be completed by this fall.

After serving as the college’s “overflow area” during several periods of construction over the past decade, the lounge will be turned into a student lounge and mid-sized group meeting area, Dean of Students Jim Hoppe said. Hoppe said the project is an attempt to turn the space into a “big living room that [students] wouldn’t mind to come hang out in.” The project is estimated to cost about $45,000.

The current plan is to include a large dining table at one end of the space with a grouping of soft furniture at the other end. There will likely be a fireplace and a large-screen TV, as well as a microwave and a small sink area that can be used for food preparation and catering.
“Like any other construction project, that’s the plan,” Hoppe said. “As they get into the renovation, there might be something that comes up that requires us to alter those plans a bit.”

The lounge was used as a workout area while the Leonard Center was under construction, and discussion surrounding the renovation has been ongoing since the Leonard Center opened in 2008. Now that the studio art building has opened, the lounge can be used to address the lack of mid-sized meeting spaces on campus.

“For years we have had plans to upgrade [the] lounge,” Director of Campus Life Keith Edwards said. “We hope that this will allow the space to be used as a lounge for the residents on a day-to-day basis, allow student orgs to reserve and have meetings there, and for occasionally hosting meals for campus speakers and events in the space.”

Facilities staff, who are in charge of overseeing the rotating system of renovation of all campus common areas, will be in charge of the project. Other upcoming projects include carpeting and painting the third floor of Neill Hall, replacing the showers in the Veggie Co-op, and re-carpeting and painting sections of Dupre Hall, according to Director of Facilities Services Nathan Lief.

Furthermore, Edwards noted that projects similar to the Turck lounge renovation might be undertaken in the future if funds are made available by the college.

“Upcoming possibilities include finishing furniture purchases for GDD that we did last summer, 30 Mac lounge furniture, Veggie Co-op, and Summit House,” Edwards said.