The groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the new University Union building is running a year behind schedule, partly because the plans were incomplete when sent in. According to Carolyn Farley, the director of the University Union and Campus Activities, construction of the new union building was supposed to have already started. “The goal was to have broken ground in the summer of 2003,” Farley said. “There are a lot of things that have contributed to the delay.”One of the main contributions to the delay is the fact that neither the UNCW campus nor the state has reviewed the plans for the entire project. Additionally, many other schools in the University of North Carolina system are also undertaking construction projects as they expand. Because of this, it may be some time before the UNCW construction plans are approved by the state. Currently, it is projected that construction on the new University Union will begin in the fall of 2004. The new union is part of a five-phase project that includes the construction of a new building that, for now, is referred to as the “student center addition.” The UNCW bookstore will be relocated to this facility. The student center addition will also house a small café that is expected to accommodate up to 90 people. Also, a convenience store and retail space for businesses in the Wilmington area are both part of this project. Planning for this project began 4 years ago. “We hired the architects in 1999,” Farley said. This project is student fee funded. Farley reports that a student survey was sent out in 2001 to determine whether or not students would favor an increase in their fees to finance the project. “The response was overwhelmingly yes,” Farley said. The current University Union building is slated to become the new home for the UNCW post office and Ditto’s Copy Center. It will also house the student media office. The second floor of the present union building will be used for office space. Many offices presently located in the Union, such as the Center for Leadership, Education and Service and the Upperman African-American Cultural Center, will remain in the current Union building. The Hawk’s Nest will also remain in the present University Union.

However, it will be expanded and will offer extended food options and seating. The space in the Warwick Center, where the post office and Ditto’s are now located, may be changed into office space that will house offices that were once located in James Hall. The space where the bookstore is currently located in the Burney Center is expected to be converted into a ballroom. The entire project is expected to be complete by the fall of 2006.