Campus Center Project receives first set of approvals

The Campus Center Project has received the first of “several needed approvals” for construction to begin, Director of Real Estate Development Kathleen Kavanaugh wrote to The Daily on Wednesday. 

The project aims to construct over 30,000 square feet of new multi-use spaces between Tresidder Student Union and the Stanford Bookstore. According to Kavanaugh, the proposed structures will include both “enclosed and open-air areas and extensive lighting for outdoor activities.”

The project’s expected completion date is in the 2029-2030 academic year, though aspects of the structures will be available for student use before then, including a new postal annex that will open in Tresidder this year and upgraded patios at Old Union, the Nitery and Clubhouse.

“This project will transform the Campus Center for daytime and nighttime use, becoming a destination rather than a place to bike past. With the addition of late-night hours, food and easily accessible spaces for gatherings, the Commons will become a central and vibrant hub for our community,” wrote Kathleen Kavanaugh, director of real estate development to The Daily.  

The project will both build new structures and develop preexisting ones, according to Kavanaugh.

“In planning exercises, many community members requested a central gathering place on campus,” Kavanaugh wrote to The Daily. “This space is intended to serve students seeking affordable, adaptable spaces for parties, activities or clubs; faculty seeking to meet with colleagues and students; or community members seeking a casual, central location to hangout with friends or family who visit.”  

The Campus Center will include a Great Room with “convenient and varied food options,” a media room and a Student Barn with two reservable multipurpose rooms. These spaces can hold between 50 and 200+ people, according to Kavanaugh. The renovated bookstore and cafe will aim to foster community gathering in addition to shopping and dining, Kavanaugh wrote.

The idea for the project originated in 2019, when “Stanford identified the need to create and revitalize community spaces in the central campus,” according to a University press release. The press release states that the plans reflect feedback from an advisory committee of students, faculty and staff, as well as data from focus groups and surveys.

Though construction will take place over the next three to four years, programming will proceed in White Plaza. Tresidder Student Union, Old Union and Dinkelspiel stage will remain open for community use during construction.

Postal Annex, a private company, will provide postal services in a new Tresidder location in place of the U.S. Postal Service during construction. The two bicycle paths running north-to-south through White Plaza will be consolidated into a single two-way path, and sales of bookstore merchandise will be transferred to other locations.

According to the press release, Stanford’s Board of Trustees has given the project concept and site approval. Next, the board will approve detailed designs and authorize construction before the project begins. 

“A commons is a place where you go to see friends, meet new people, watch something unexpected, or just do your own thing without being alone,” said professor and advisory committee member Dan Edelstein in the press release. We’re fortunate to have these amazing spaces to reimagine, as we revive the heart of Stanford’s campus.”

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