Expect to see more construction cones around campus. The board of trustees recently approved a project to add additional facilities to the Danieley neighborhood.
The new facilities will include a fitness center, various offices, a demonstrative kitchen and Einstein Bagels, which will be located next to Qdoba. The multipurpose recreational facility will provide much needed space to host events in the Danieley Neighborhood. These new facilities will provide students with the opportunity to interact more with one another while providing them with more dining and fitness options. Jon Dooley, Dean of Campus Life, said the addition of the new project will bring opportunities to Elon students.
"But students were also telling us very clearly, 'we would like more food options in the Danieley neighborhood, there's not a place for us to gather and get together in that neighborhood,' and so the addition that's happening on Daniel commons will provide that second food option and for some additional space for students who just want to hang out and gather in the neighborhood," Dooley said.
The project is expected to be completed by sometime next year. Dooley, said that the new facilities will deepen the academic experience and will help match the facilities to university programming.
"So really as Elon looks at what it wants to offer students, it wants to be a university that has some of the best facilities in the country and the reason for that is we know that facilities makes a big difference in terms of interactions students have so creating facilities where students will interact with faculty members, staff, and others," Dooley said.
On the other side of campus, the Arts West Center is expected to be renovated in 2015, in hope to provide Elon students with more opportunities. The renovations will include new studios, recording rooms and classrooms. These rooms will provide students with the latest technology and a professional setting. This expansion will be made to the already existing building and is anticipated to be completed in the spring.
The new additions are a part of the Elon Commitment Strategic Plan, which has been in place since 2009. The initiative is about deepening the connection for students between the academic experience and the co-curricular residential experience that they have. Elon will continue to work on adding more opportunities and buildings in the future.