As Newell Hall renovations come to a close, the Plaza of the Americas construction continues on schedule.
After construction started in November 2015, Newell Hall will be complete in March and open in April, wrote project manager Howie Ferguson in an email. The building will have places for students to eat, meet and study. The building will also have an Au Bon Pain, a café chain for soups and sandwiches.
“This building provides something for just about everyone,” Ferguson said.
According to a project overview document, the building’s total budget is about $19 million. In a project overview documents from January 2016, the estimated total cost was $16.6 million.
Ferguson said there were some delays with the new building, but none that impacted the final completion date.
Nicholas Rajcoomar, a 19-year-old UF civil engineering sophomore, said he looks forward to a new place to study on campus.
“I will definitely check it out, and most likely go there instead of Marston to study,” Rajcoomar said.
Plaza of the Americas renovations are also on track to finish Summer 2017, said university spokesperson Margot Winick.
Plaza construction will cost $2.2 million, with private donations accounting for $1.3 million, she said. Renovations are underway on the eastern half, and construction on the western half should begin in a few weeks.
The plaza’s renovation will preserve one of the campuses high-traffic areas, by having wider and newer walkways to help the 100-year-old trees continue to grow without having their roots stepped on, Winick said.
“This is really going to restore it to a more user friendly and exciting place,” she said.
An aerial view of the final, reconstructed Plaza of the Americas. Construction begins Monday and is expected to take about six months.
