Contractors have completed most of the renovations in the MCV Campus Recreation and Aquatics Center, said Brian Ohlinger, the associate vice president of facilities management. Ohlinger said the rest of the Jonah L. Larrick Student Center should be completed by early November.
The former Larrick Student Center was constructed in 1962 as the Civil War Centennial Center. After the centennial, the dome-shaped building was donated to the Medical College of Virginia before it merged with Richmond Professional Institute to form VCU.
“It was never designed for dining. It was never designed for student use,” Ohlinger said.
The old Larrick building was demolished a year and a half ago, and the new center will connect to the MCV Campus Recreation and Aquatics Center already in existence.
Anne Zielinski Brown, the assistant director for MCV Campus of recreational sports, said the former Larrick facility was “very ’70s esque.”
“There was no way to use it effectively with our building,” Brown said.
According to a construction sign outside of Larrick, the project has a budget of $16,569,904 and was designed by Moseley Architects.
Though the sign states the project was to be completed by August, Ohlinger said this date was only a phase deadline for the gym section to be finished.
Ohlinger said the rest of Larrick should be complete by early November and the entire facility should open in January.
In addition to the gym, the new Larrick Student Center will have a student meeting space, a dining facility and the first Starbucks on the MCV Campus.
According to Diane Reynolds, the director of business services, the new dining area will be called Jonah’s and will be referred to as “A Culinary Experience.” Reynolds said Jonah’s will have a deli, made-to-order salads, a grill, a bakery and cooler cases of pre-made meals “like Ukrop’s.”
“I think MCV folks will love it,” Reynolds said. “I think it will be a nice place for them.”
Reynolds said like Shafer Court Dining Center, Jonah’s will be run by Aramark. Compared to the 800 people that Shafer seats, Larrick should seat roughly 200.
“I call it the ‘Mini-Me’ version of Shafer Court,” Ohlinger said.
While Hunton Hall Student Center is MCV Campus’ common area for students, Brown said it is intended more as a study space than a place for students to convene. Larrick’s new meeting area is intended to be more like a traditional student commons.
Most renovations in the gym were completed three weeks ago. Brown said the demolition of a wall in the weight room has led to more than double the capacity it previously had, and the gym would be able to serve “a ton more students.”
The gym boasts brand new exercise equipment and more than 20 new plasma screen televisions.
Air conditioning was added to the locker rooms during the renovation, as well as digital lockers that patrons can operate by typing in a numerical code.
Kjellstrom & Lee is handling construction at Larrick. Other VCU construction projects the firm has worked on include the Brandcenter and the School of Nursing. Over time, Ohlinger said he estimates Kjellstrom & Lee has overseen $150 million of construction for VCU.
Ohlinger said he has high praise for students staying in dorms on the MCV campus for going a year and a half without a dining facility of their own.
“The students have been terrific,” Ohlinger said.