 "Photo: Courtesy of UIC")
The south campus expansion continues beyond the construction of new apartment-style dorms, businesses, the new Maxwell street and James Stukel residence towers. UIC hopes the changes will add one more prestige to the university and entice more students to attend.
The UIC Forum is a venue for events, much like the UIC Pavilion, with a lower seating capacity, but nonetheless the potential to bring many social events, concerts, conventions and commencement ceremonies, among a myriad of other possibilities, to campus.
The Forum is targeting events that require more space than the Illinois and Cardinal room can accommodate, but smaller than the Pavilion.
Located on the corner of Roosevelt and Halsted, the Forum has 22,000 square feet of potential event space, and has the flexibility to house various events. Amenities include a full service concession area, meeting room spaces, available parking, housing and dining accommodations during summer months, and a full catering service.
"The UIC Forum is taking shape on the edge of South Campus and next fall at this time, we will be working feverishly to get the facility ready for its grand opening," said Rob Rouzer, director of UIC Student Centers.
The Forum also boasts a state-of-the-art theatrical lighting system, which will be sure to bring several UIC productions and special events to Roosevelt and Halsted. With the concert sound technology, the campus hopes to also host a number of additional shows, perhaps even more local acts and lesser-known musical talent.
The Forum is one of the many innovations that have been springing up around campus within the past few years. Seniors at UIC who entered the school as freshman three to four years ago may remember the once bare existence that was south Halsted Street prior to all the construction. The area was hardly a good spot to take a stroll, let alone dine, shop, go out for a few drinks and take in the lovely Chicago skyline, like it is now.
The construction of the South Campus began back in 2000, and according to the expansion project team, expansion will continue through at least 2009.
Stanton Delaney, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Executive Director of the project, noted that all of the South Campus construction has included up to this point adaptive re-usage of eight pre-existing buildings on Halsted Street and 13 partial building structures from Halsted, Maxwell and Roosevelt.
"Adaptive re-use of these 21 buildings and facades, combined with the new architecture that is consistent with the look of the older buildings, means South Campus will connect with the past while pointing the way to a vibrant future for the campus and the community," said Delaney.
The grand-opening of the UIC Forum in Fall 2008 will add a cultural and professional space to the already well-developed South Campus, in addition to providing students, staff, faculty and neighborhood residents a place for both formal and informal gatherings.
The Forum is an accomplishment that the UIC campus can add to its list of real-estate excellence, for which it received an award back in the spring of this year.
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