Tate II project breaks ground

By: MELISSA WEINMAN

Posted: 4/19/07

Today at 2 p.m., there will be a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction for the expansion of the Tate Student Center.

Construction, which was originally scheduled to begin in January, was delayed due to increased building costs, said Willie Banks, director of Campus Life and Tate Student Center.

The expansion will take place in three phases, beginning with a 500-space parking deck, according to the student affairs Web site.

After the parking deck is complete, the new student center will be built on top of the deck, and the old Tate pay lot will be replaced with a green space.

"I am excited and thrilled that construction will begin very soon. This is a project that has been discussed at various levels for the past 24 years. The student center we will be getting at the end of construction will be an amazing facility for all of the UGA and Athens community to enjoy," Banks wrote in an e-mail.

There will be a reception for students, faculty and staff in the Tate Center after the ceremony.