University officials, construction workers beaming after student center frame completed

By Emily Cole
August 26, 2016

Friday afternoon, UK celebrated progress made on the construction of a new student center with a beam-lifting ceremony.

“This is a tradition where we celebrate putting one of the last structural beams on the framing of the building” said John Herbst, executive director of the student center.

The final beam of the student center’s frame was added after students, faculty, construction representatives and board members signed their names on it. Several officials made remarks, including President Eli Capilouto, who hopes to make the new student center a place of diversity and inclusivity.

“No house is complete without a living room, and I just wrote on the beam that this is a living room for all peoples. Whatever your perspective, your identity, your beliefs, this is a living room for everyone,” Capilouto said. 

Before speaking at the event, Student Government Association President Rowan Reid mentioned that she shares some of these same hopes for the new facility.

“I’m excited about the fact that the new student center is going to be a collaborative place for students, it’s going to be a great place for students to meet and share ideas,” Reid said.

While the new student center has been in the works for many years, Reid said she served on a student committee for the center and gave her input.

Mark Hill, operations vice president for Messer Construction, the company building the center, said while campus construction has been a topic of debate among students and staff and has presented challenges for transportation and getting to class, the quality of the new facility will be worth it.

“I’m sure its been a challenge for the students but we do try to make sure the construction remains in the site and that we aren’t out in the street,” he said.

While campus construction has been a topic of debate among students and staff and has presented challenges for transportation and getting to class, Hill said that the quality of the new facility will be worth it.

“The sheer size of the new student center and the reactions the students are going to have walking inside for the first time,” he said. “We just finished the new academic science building and to see students reactions to how nice the buildings are makes our jobs a lot easier.”

Reggie Smith, senior project executive and former UK football player, said the finished student center will improve UK.  

“I know the construction is painful right now and might be annoying but its well worth it,” Smith said. “The completion of the steel structure is a huge milestone for us so to get the frame built is an exciting day.”

Once the beam was covered in signatures from attendees and passers-by, it was lifted in to the air and placed on the structure. The new student center is expected to open Jan. 2018.