News

Tivoli renovation to wrap up by January

By Erin Williams
ewilli47@mscd.edu

The $28 million Tivoli renovations are set to be completed by January 2006, barring any major weather.

The removal of the white paint and restoring or replacing of the original brick on the outside of the Tivoli building has been the main focus of the renovations, which began in July 2003. Other major projects include updating the fire alarms, replacing the wooden windows and installing a new ventilation system throughout the building. The construction crew has also repaired most of the roof, with just a few more sections to go.

The Tivoli has seen its fair share of weather and abuse, which is the main reason for the major overhaul.

"Most portions of the building are 100 years old," said Barb Weiske, director of Student Auxiliary Services, which manages the Tivoli Student Union.

She added that whoever built the Tivoli were "absolute craftsmen" with the different colored brick and patterns they've found underneath all that white paint.

To finish the renovations, workers will build an interior stairwell in the Turnhalle, which will allow the building's patrons to use the upstairs for future events. They also need to put the final touches on the ventilation system and finish repairing the roof.

Students will also notice changes to the Auraria Bookstore once the start-of-the-semester book rush is over. There will be new concept stores for Metro, UCD and CCD, with grand openings for the new departments.

"We want to pull in the individual school's identity," Weiske said.

The locations of the loading docks and stockrooms for the Bookstore will be moved from the Plaza building to the Tivoli to avoid the large trucks from clashing with student traffic.