When the basement of Marston Science Library reopens to students Wednesday, few — if any — will recognize the space.
Since the basement was blocked off in May, about $5.7 million worth of renovations have turned the room from dimly lit storage for crusty old documents to a high-tech study space fit for 701 students.
“Hopefully, some students can now abandon the floor of the Reitz Union where they were studying and move in here,” UF Provost Joe Glover said.
The 20,000-square-foot basement features color-coded zones, denoting places designed for group study, computer stations and individuals. Study and conference rooms are named after scientists, including UF’s own Robert Cade, who developed Gatorade.
There are two special features: the Made@UF room, which will be used to teach people how to develop apps, and a conference room featuring a giant, 5-foot-by-10-foot touch screen monitor.
Adam Brown, the operations manager for the Office of Academic Technology, said the scheduled timing to open for Fall 2014 semester was just right.
Glover agreed, adding that it was done on budget.
A ceremony celebrating the basement’s renovations will be held Wednesday at 10 a.m.
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 8/25/2014 under the headline "Marston basement to reopen Wed."]
Marston Library's basement's renovations are almost finished. The area will reopen wednesday.
