A four-story addition to the Student Center that will house a movie theater, along with other entertainment options, will be completed in the Fall 2005 semester.
“Phase two of the SAC should be open in mid-September, completed in its entirety by November,” said Andy Riccardi, director of engineering and construction in the office of facilities management.
In addition to the theater, the addition will have a game room, lounges, a non-alcoholic student entertainment center, student organization offices and meeting rooms.
Marvin Gerstein, director of planning and design for the office of facilities management, said the new student entertainment center will serve “a non-alcoholic function, designed with a dance floor and booths, and a high-end system where bands will play.”
Riccardi described the new movie theater as “a real cinema, containing 150 seats, with 35 mm projectors.”
He also added that the movies will be “first and second runs” rather than “the older movies played currently at Tuttleman.”
“There will even be concession stands with popcorn and candy,” Gerstein said.
The game room will include nine regulation pool tables, four foosball tables, tennis tables, and a selection of electronic games.
With upper levels accommodating large multi-purpose conference rooms, the lower-level of the new addition will be a graphics media center, replacing the current credit union.
This will provide students with graphics and copying services, “sort of like a Kinko’s,” Gerstein said.
Commuters will have the opportunity to enjoy and benefit from the renovations, as “lounges will include lockers and microwaves,” Riccardi said.
The fourth floor of the new addition will be constructed, yet remain unfinished; “to provide room for further expansion,” Gerstein said.
Students agree that the convenience of the location for such activities will increase the participation level of the students.
“I think it will bring a lot more students to Temple. It seems like a good way to attract younger students,” said sophomore Derik Comalli.
Rob Szostak, a freshman, noted the safety benefit in having a movie theater and dance room on campus.
“It’s great; it gives us something to do on campus, instead of having to go downtown to a club or the movies, where worrying about late-night transportation is often a problem,” Szostak said.
Comalli feels that the new functions “will be utilized on week nights mainly, because of parties on the weekends, unless there are really good bands playing.”
Some students support the idea of an alcohol-free environment at the student entertainment center, while others find it less appealing.
“I’m happy that we can have activities that are non-alcohol related for a school as large as Temple,” said Leela Neti, senior.
For Comalli, the dance floor would be more enjoyable if alcohol was a factor.
Phase Two of the Student Center will provide renovations to 37,930 square feet of building space, and a new addition in the 86,000 square-foot range, according to the office of facilities Web site.
The new four-story addition will be brick veneer, with glass curtain walls and a metal panel system.
Riccardi said that the initial project budget of $30 million would not be exceeded.
Rebecca Kaplan can be reached at rkaplan1@temple.edu.
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