Convenience is taking priority at the Student Center.

Construction to make way for a convenience store at the Student Center began last week and is expected to be completed by the time students return for fall semester, said Lori Stettler, director of the Student Center.

The first floor lounge will be split in two, Stettler said. A bank will occupy two-thirds of the area while the other third will become the new information station. The old information station will be transformed into a convenience store.

“Students have been asking for a convenience store in the Student Center. The store will be designed to meet the grab and go needs of today’s students,” Stettler said.

Some students agree with having a convenience store on campus, but question the decision to remove the lounge.

“All the sitting is where food is. So if you want to study, it’s full of people eating and being loud,” said Katie Bunt, a junior from LaMoille studying fashion design.

The rest and study space will not be replaced. The area that will eventually become a bank will remain open as a television lounge until the bidding process begins, Stettler said.

The television and furniture will be dispersed throughout the building.

Some details on the plans are unclear. The name of the convenience store and which bank will move to the Student Center are unknown. Stettler said branch banks would bid on the remodeled space some time in the near future.

“We are considering a naming contest (for the convenience store) where students will have the opportunity to submit names that represent the campus, the Student Center and the convenience store concept,” Stettler said.

Matt Guenn, a junior from West Frankfort studying architecture, said the convenience store doesn’t seem necessary, especially for students living in residence halls, but liked the idea of a bank in the Student Center.

“That’d be pretty cool. My bank is in my hometown, so I have to travel to get to it, so that might be a little bit better for me,” Guenn said. “But it depends on what bank it is.”

Other students feel as though banks are already prominent enough on campus.

“There’s ATMs everywhere. It’s seems a little superfluous,” Bunt said.

Stettler said Plant and Services Operations, the organization that handles all campus projects, is doing construction. Costs for the construction are estimated at about $35,000, which will come from the Student Center operations and equipment account.

Past projects supported through the account include energy efficient window film on all exterior Student Center windows, ceiling tiles on the second floor and controllable air conditioning in the ballrooms, Stettler said.

In the fall, Main Street Marketplace will also be remodeled, but details on the project are still vague, Stettler said.

“We are close to entering contract negotiations with vendors and hope to release that information prior to the end of the spring semester,” Stettler said.

Lindsey Smith can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 255 or [email protected].