- Cayla Nimmo // Assistant Photo editor
A website dedicated to the new Student Activities Center (SAC) was launched by the Division of Student Affairs during winter break to share updates about the construction of the building.
Vice President of Student Affairs Patricia Whitely said the website will allow students, staff, faculty and alumni to follow “this transformative building.”
The SAC website features a frequently asked questions section, construction photos, a live camera, an interactive timeline and details on the building’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
The LEED Green Building Rating System measures factors such as materials selection and energy efficiency. The university is striving to implement as many sustainable features in the SAC as the design will support in order to obtain the best possible LEED rating, according to the website.
The construction of the SAC is currently on schedule, Whitely said. The estimated project timeline plans for construction finish by summer 2013, with the grand opening planned for fall 2013.
The completed SAC will be located on the shore of Lake Osceola, where the former Rathskeller stood. The building will have three floors and will also house a new two-story Rat at the end of construction.
The SAC will work alongside the existing University Center, UC Patio, pool and other outdoor spaces at the university to create an entire student center complex, according to the website.
The site also provides details about the building’s specifications, from its size of 119,368 square feet to its features, including lounge areas, a large multipurpose room, new meeting rooms and retail outlets.
Students have had mixed reactions about the launch of the website. Senior Giovany Delgado is not interested in the information on the website.
“I think that, yes, I’ll visit the website just to be curious, but to gain information on the building and the construction, not really,” Delgado said.
Others, like sophomore Dana Smart, think that the launch of the website will be informative.
“The website is useful because, personally, I don’t really know what’s going on, so I’ll be able to find out,” she said.
Smart is excited for the construction to be finished in 2013.
“I didn’t really get to experience the Rat fully, so since it’s going to be back there, I want to go there more and see all of the events because I heard it was a big thing,” she said.
The website is already running. To view it, visit miami.edu/sa/index.php/student_activities_center.