Incoming freshmen will have a new university student center to look forward to come January 2007. Construction for the center, seated snugly in the woods between Bird Area and Alden Library at the corner of Court Street and Park Place, started in April 2004 and is scheduled to end in October 2006.
Construction is going well
and everything is on schedule said Richard Carpinelli, associate vice president for student affairs and director of Baker University Center.
The university's goal in building the new 183,000 square foot center is to link the upper and lower sections of the OU campus, and to relocate the center of campus between College and West greens.
We see it as the main gathering place of the university; a place for learning socializing
studying and a place for food venues. It will provide a central gathering point for those at the university
Carpinelli said.
The $60 million center will be financed by the university, the state and with fees charged to incoming students. A quarterly fee of $60 will be added to students' tuition beginning in January 2007 to pay for $40 million of the project's budget, while the other $20 million will be supplied by state capital funds, according to a November Post article.
According to the center's Web site, Baker was built in 1954 to accommodate a student population of about 5
000. Baker's 90,000 square feet now host OU's student population of nearly 20,000.
In addition to the increased space, the new university student center will be home to the entire population of Baker University Center. There will be many more offices available. There will also be upscale
enhanced entertainment venues
and increased study space
said Carpinelli.
It should even bear the same name.
Before he left
President Glidden ... felt strongly that the Baker name should stay because John Calhoun Baker (OU's 14th president) was such an important figure. He didn't want the name to be torn down
said Carpinelli.
The fate of Baker University Center is still under question. The current Baker Center space will probably not be used for a certain period of time. Its future is perhaps unknown
