Design Your Reitz: Choose the Furniture for the New Reitz Union

Happy Friday!  I hope everyone has been enjoying this abbreviated week and is looking forward to the weekend.  I want to give a quick update on the Reitz Union construction project.  For those of you that don't come to the Reitz on a regular basis, construction is well underway, and the builders have made a lot of progress.

The new Reitz will be student space through and through.  The team that is overseeing this project wants to gather as much student input as possible.  The first floor of the Reitz has a seating area set up with 17 different seating options to chose from.  You can vote for the option you like most at www.makeitreitz.com/vote  I have my favorite seating options, now it's time for you to pick yours.  Act quickly, because today is the last day to vote.

Go Gators!

Reitz Union Update

Good afternoon Gators!  I hope everyone had a fun and safe weekend.  By now, I'm sure everyone knows that our beloved Reitz Union is under construction that will renovate and expand our student union to be the best and most advanced union in the nation!  I've gotten a lot of questions about the renovation and what it means for students as well as student organizations.  My good friend Sarah Frick is the Executive Chair for Student Involvement in the Reitz Union Renovation and Expansion.  Here is what she has to say on the renovation and how students can be involved in the process: 

Hello, Gators! My name is Sarah Frick, and I am the executive director for student involvement for the Reitz Union expansion and renovation project. I would like to update you on the current construction, as well as inform you of the ways students are remaining engaged with the project.

Currently, there are three main entrances into the Reitz Union building. From the North, you can enter the ground floor at the Subway entrance or the first floor using the new stair which connects to the student lounge, right outside of the Career Resource Center. From the West, you can enter through the circle drive breezeway by the hotel desk or via the Concourse that runs along the east side of the building from the Welcome Center to the first floor lobby. From the South, you can enter via the Bookstore/Welcome Center entrance.

Coming in mid-November, construction barricade walls will be placed around the center stairs on the ground, first and second floors of the Reitz Union.  These areas are being closed off, so that the stairs can be removed and new restrooms can be built.  The elevators will still be in commission to get around the building.

There are many ways to get involved with the project as a student. The student advisory committee meets monthly to gather feedback from many student groups on campus about the project. Our goal is to represent a wide array of student groups that utilize the union regularly. We send our thoughts and opinions to the architect team to ensure the project is completed with students in mind. In addition to this committee, the Reitz Union ambassadors are working hard for this project. The ambassadors are willing to visit student organizations to provide a presentation on the project to keep students informed. If you would like a few ambassadors to attend one of your organization’s meetings to give this presentation, please contact me at reitz@sg.ufl.edu. Also, if you have any ideas or suggestions for the project, feel free to email me.

If you’re interested in learning more about the project, please visit the project website at: http://makeitreitz.com/. You can also see live video of the construction site at: http://oxblue.com/open/skanska/reitzunion.

Thank you for helping us Make It Reitz! Go Gators!

Reitz Union Groundbreaking

On Saturday I participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Reitz Union renovation and expansion.  The new Reitz Union will open in 2015 and will have 100,000 sq. ft. of new space and 50,000 sq. ft. of renovated space from the current union.  Here is the transcript of the speech I gave at the ceremony:

Today's ground breaking ceremony is the culmination of nearly a decade of work and effort to update and expand our beloved Reitz Union to better accommodate the growth and success of our students. When the Reitz was built in the 1960's, it was designed to accommodate a student body of approximately 19,000. Today the student population at the University of Florida has more than doubled, and the Reitz sees thousands of people every day. The new Reitz building will be large enough to accommodate even more student organizations on campus, will be a central hub for student services and will have the entire technological infrastructure to ensure when our students leave this campus they will be better trained than their counterparts.

There are many people who have been responsible for bringing this plan to fruition.  First, I would like to recognize Chairman McKeel, his colleagues in the Florida House of Representatives, members of the Florida Senate, and Governor Scott.  Thanks to Chairman McKeel’s leadership and support, the Reitz will continue to be the vital core of our campus.  I would also like to thank President Machen and Vice President Kratzer.  Their tireless dedication to the students of our university shows why we have the most student friendly campus in this nation. Throughout the planning and design of the new facilities, both President Machen and General Kratzer kept the students as their main priority. Even when we were faced with obstacles, their leadership ensured that this project would go on and would be successful. We would not be standing here today if it was not for their leadership and dedication to see this building’s completion. Finally, I want to thank my predecessors and the work they did to help this university reach this milestone today.  Nearly a dozen Student Body Presidents have played a pivotal role in making this project a reality. While I am thrilled to be a part of this ceremony, I would be remiss if I did not recognize all of their contributions.

Today is an amazing day for all Gators. It was a long ride to get to where we are today and countless days spent in our State’s Capitol, but it makes today that much more significant. The new Reitz will embody what it truly means to be a Gator. From housing departments such as Center for Leadership and Service, Student Activities and Involvement, Multicultural and Diversity Affairs and Gator well, we will be able to accommodate all of our student’s needs to make them better leaders. Our Student Government Senate will have an official home on the first floor of the new Reitz named “Student Senate Chambers” and Student Government will have a design and print studio to empower our 1,000 student organizations to showcase their many talents. This new space will provide the foundation to develop future leaders for our great state and nation, and I know the impact this building will have for our students will be far greater than we could have ever imagined.

I am excited for the endless possibilities this building will provide our students and know it will be one of the reasons we become a Top 10 Public University Thank you again for coming here this morning and being part of history.

Go Gators and Beat the Vols!