The Welcome Center is still on track to be finished in January 2018, according to John Signorello, associate vice president of Facilities Engineering and Business Affairs.
Further, Signorello said in an email interview that no updates to the plans have been made since his last interview with The Setonian.
Signorello said, “the steel frame has been completed so there is still a lot of work to be completed such as the exterior walls and interior fit up.”
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The Welcome Center is still on track to be completed in Jan. 2018. Greg Medina/Asst. Photography Editor.[/caption]
The 68,222 square foot Welcome Center will be three stories tall and include additional parking underneath the building, according to Signorello. The building will host the campus Office of Admissions, a gallery and event space that can hold up to 500 people.
Students commented on the project, which occupies a prominent place alongside the Farinella Gate, the main entrance to the University.
Julie Devoti, a freshman public relations major, said, “It’s interesting how each time I come to school there seems to be a lot of progress, to me it is really impressive.”
When asked about the completion of the project, Devoti said, “It will be a wonderful addition to campus and I am very excited for its completion. It will help increase enrollment at SHU and increase the value of my degree in the future.”
However, Danielle Marinis, a freshman creative writing major, said, “I do not necessarily see the need for the new building because its function of welcoming students is already served in other places, such as Duffy, the Library and the University Center.”
Marinis added that she thinks the ongoing construction is loud and bothersome to classes being held in Fahy Hall.
McKinley Brock, a freshman undecided major, said the Welcome Center is a good idea and time will tell “how well it serves the campus in the future after completion.”
While he does not know a lot about construction, he said the structure looks like it is forming rust, which is “slightly disconcerting.”
He added, “I am from Alaska, and I am not used to winter construction, so I have been very impressed with how quickly they have been able to construct the building.”
Benjamin Jaros can be reached at benjamin.jaros@student.shu.edu.
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