Elon University’s campus has been loud at work with construction over the summer, and some new and renovated buildings will greet those returning to campus this fall.
One of the biggest summer additions is the construction of a new residential neighborhood. Elon’s latest on-campus living spaces sit next to the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center at the former site of East Gym and historic neighborhood parking. According to Marquita Barker, senior associate director of residence life, a name for the dorms has yet to be determined, as it is not planned to open until fall 2018. Barker also said that the neighborhood will consist of three buildings containing 309 double rooms total, and will mostly house freshmen and sophomores.
Across the railroad tracks on South Campus, construction continues for the Phoenix Activities and Recreation Center (PARC) 2. This facility, located behind the student health center, will house a multipurpose gymnasium built for campus recreational activities such as basketball and indoor soccer, making it similar to the original PARC in the Danieley Neighborhood. According to University Architect and Director of Planning, Design and Construction Brad Moore, the PARC 2 will open in Fall 2018. The building currently just consists of a steel frame, but will be getting a roof soon. The new gym is being built partially to attract students to South Campus.
In addition to new residential and recreational facilities, a new academic building is springing up on campus. Sankey Hall, which will house new classrooms for the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, is being built near Colonnades dining hall in the northern portion of the McMichael parking lot.
Exterior construction is almost complete on Schar Center, a 5,400-seat convocation center and arena that will serve as a home for Elon basketball and volleyball teams as well as visiting speakers and other events. Construction efforts on Schar Center broke ground in October 2016, and exterior construction is expected to wrap up this fall, shifting focus to interior finishes between now and the arena’s opening, scheduled for fall 2018.
Just as new buildings are joining the Elon landscape, a new road will change the way students can drive around campus. A short section of paved road now connects North O’Kelly Avenue to the Colonnades parking lot. The road starts in the roundabout near Loy Center, joining two previously un-connected areas of campus. This addition means much greater ease of access to the Colonnades parking lot and the entire Danieley Neighborhood.
While four new buildings arrive on campus in the near future, some existing buildings will reopen with renovated interiors this fall. The refurbishment of the Historic Neighborhood continues into West Hall and Virginia Hall, as Elon’s oldest residence halls will see new interiors as part of a multiyear, neighborhood-wide facelift.
In downtown Elon, the top floor of the building housing Pandora’s Pies and Barnes & Noble will reopen with a new purpose. Formerly the home of the Pendulum, the space is now occupied by the Design Thinking program and a second location for Elon’s Makerhub.
McEwen Dining Hall, Chik-fil-a, and Varsity Sports Grill will all be closed for the 2017-2018 school year as the the McEwen dining building undergoes renovations which were originally scheduled to be completed for the start of this school year. Original plans for the renovation indicate that McEwen dining hall will change drastically, as the dining hall portion will be eliminated to make way for five new fast-casual restaurants.