The highly anticipated $40 million expansion of the Lowman Student Center is scheduled to open Jan. 15. It will feature a bowling alley, pub, restaurants, a ballroom and several more amenities.
“Construction is scheduled to end sometime in December,” Lowman Student Center Director Rob Webber said. “We will take that time to get furniture installed in the building, complete the punch list, train our staff, and we will open up to the public Jan. 15.”
The current Kat Klub will be relocated to the new expansion. It will include an eight-lane bowling alley, six new billiard tables and five new video game stations.
“No game room is complete without video games,” Webber said.
The new restaurants in the LSC expansion will be Steak ‘n’ Shake and Oath Pizza. Adjacent to the Kat Klub will be a new pub that will offer beer—on tap and in bottles—as well as wine.
The Kat Klub will also have a small performance space for comedians and musical acts.
“It will be a fresh and hip new space on campus,” Webber said. “It will have a little bit of a coffee house vibe.”
There will be an outdoor courtyard area on level one.
“It will have a dual purpose art/ shade structure that will provide some shade…for people who want to dine outside,” Webber said. “It is adjacent to the dining area, so there will be some outdoor seating.”
The LSC expansion will also have an atrium. The atrium space will serve as the epicenter that will connect all three floors of the LSC, according to Webber. The Kat Klub, pub, restaurants, lounge spaces, outdoor courtyard and atrium will be on the first floor.
A new 10,000 square-foot ballroom will be on level two. This space will have the capacity to break down into four separate spaces. The ballroom in the LSC expansion will be in addition to the ballroom that currently exists.
“The new ballroom does not have a built in stage,” Webber said. “Everything in the ballroom will be portable and flexible to support events. We will have integrated theatrical lighting and sound capabilities. I think the space we are building is one of the most technologically advanced Student Center ballrooms in the country.”
On level two, there will be more lounge spaces that will overlook the courtyard. There will also be additional meeting rooms.
“They will serve as support spaces for the ballroom and for major events, but also for our student groups in providing them more meeting space in the building,” Webber said. “The expansion price tag is approximately 40 million dollars.”
For more information you may visit http://www.shsu.edu/dept/lowman-student-center/expansion-news.html
