J. Wayne Reitz Union
Encyclopedia
The J. Wayne Reitz Union is the student union
of the University of Florida
, located on Museum Road on the university campus in Gainesville, Florida
. The building, which was originally completed in 1967, contains dining facilities, meeting rooms, offices, a computer lab, a game room
, an outdoor amphitheater, retail stores, a movie theater and a hotel.
East of the Reitz Union is the Constans Theatre
, a performing arts venue. Although the two buildings are joined by a colonnade, the Constans Theatre is no longer managed by the union, with the exception of the University Box Office.
The University of Florida's original student union building was called the Florida Union, and opened in 1936 (now known as Dauer Hall). At the request of president Albert A. Murphree
, former U.S. Senator William Jennings Bryan
assisted in the fund-raising for the Florida Union, and he was aided by the students who agreed to pay an extra fee so that the facility could be built. However, in time, the sentiment was that this building was too small and a new student union would have to be erected to meet the demands.
Plans for the new facility were crafted in 1948, however the project wasn't approved until May 1962. It took two years to secure funding, and the ground breaking was on May 9, 1964. The building was officially completed and opened to the students on May 1, 1967. Financing for the union was accomplished by a statewide revenue certificate program for higher education generated and supported by fees of students of all state institutions of Florida. The financial start was in October 1951, when the student body voted a small fee to be set aside for the construction of this facility. Subsequent actions by the student body, the university administration, the Board of Control (now the Board of Regents), and the State Board of Education made the union possible. There were no tax funds used in the construction or furnishings of the building.
The Reitz Union has been through several expansions and renovations. In 1975, unfinished sections of the basement level were converted into meeting rooms. Additional meeting rooms were constructed above the union colonnade, and the Career Resource Center was expanded in 1991. In 1992, the game room was expanded.
1995 brought several changes, including the addition of a new wing to house the Career Resource Center, converting the existing cafeteria/snack bar area into a food court and the addition of retail space on the ground floor. These projects were completed in 1998. In 2002, the Grand Ballroom opened above the Career Resource Center.
In 2003, the Bookstore and Welcome Center was completed. The new expansion, which is connected to the Reitz Union through an expanded food court, includes a parking garage, along with a new bookstore. The bookstore, along with the student ID card services, replaced existing facilities located at The Hub
.
The union was named in honor of J. Wayne Reitz
, the fifth president of the university, who served from 1955 to 1967.
. The union is eight floors including the basement/plaza. Outside the union is a bicycle repair facility, sponsored by the University of Florida Student Government.
A full map of the building is viewable at the Reitz Union website.
, members of the university's board of trustees, student leaders, and other university officials launched an aggressive campaign to spend $90 million to make repairs and expand the outdated building, which has an estimated $42.5 million in needed repairs. The expansion would include a 24-hour study center, a new parking garage (750 spaces), an expanded printing lab, more restaurant selections, new multipurpose meeting rooms, a 1,500-seat auditorium, and a cutting-edge fitness center. About $60 million of this cost would come from a proposed student fee, which would increase tuition rates by $3 per credit hour plus a $20 flat fee each semester. This fee would likely be in effect for the next 30 years.
On February 23-24th, 2010, about 9,775 UF students voted on this issue, with nearly 56% voting against the proposed fee to cover repairs of the Reitz Union, and 55% voting against funding the expansion. The Student Government will explore multiple alternative sources for renovating the aging student center, including the Public Education Capital Outlay, and the Capital Improvement Trust Fund, a fund to which all public university students contribute.
Student activity center
A student activity center is a type of building found on university campuses. In the United States, such a building is more often called a student union, student commons, or student center...
of the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, located on Museum Road on the university campus in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
. The building, which was originally completed in 1967, contains dining facilities, meeting rooms, offices, a computer lab, a game room
Video arcade
An amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
, an outdoor amphitheater, retail stores, a movie theater and a hotel.
East of the Reitz Union is the Constans Theatre
Constans Theatre
The Constans Theatre is a performing arts venue located on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. The facility first opened in 1967, and currently serves as a venue for musical concerts, theater, dance, and lectures. In 2004 the facility was named for the patron H.P...
, a performing arts venue. Although the two buildings are joined by a colonnade, the Constans Theatre is no longer managed by the union, with the exception of the University Box Office.
History
Albert A. Murphree
Albert Alexander Murphree was an American college professor and university president. Murphree was a native of Alabama, and became a mathematics instructor after earning his bachelor's degree...
, former U.S. Senator William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
assisted in the fund-raising for the Florida Union, and he was aided by the students who agreed to pay an extra fee so that the facility could be built. However, in time, the sentiment was that this building was too small and a new student union would have to be erected to meet the demands.
Plans for the new facility were crafted in 1948, however the project wasn't approved until May 1962. It took two years to secure funding, and the ground breaking was on May 9, 1964. The building was officially completed and opened to the students on May 1, 1967. Financing for the union was accomplished by a statewide revenue certificate program for higher education generated and supported by fees of students of all state institutions of Florida. The financial start was in October 1951, when the student body voted a small fee to be set aside for the construction of this facility. Subsequent actions by the student body, the university administration, the Board of Control (now the Board of Regents), and the State Board of Education made the union possible. There were no tax funds used in the construction or furnishings of the building.
The Reitz Union has been through several expansions and renovations. In 1975, unfinished sections of the basement level were converted into meeting rooms. Additional meeting rooms were constructed above the union colonnade, and the Career Resource Center was expanded in 1991. In 1992, the game room was expanded.
1995 brought several changes, including the addition of a new wing to house the Career Resource Center, converting the existing cafeteria/snack bar area into a food court and the addition of retail space on the ground floor. These projects were completed in 1998. In 2002, the Grand Ballroom opened above the Career Resource Center.
In 2003, the Bookstore and Welcome Center was completed. The new expansion, which is connected to the Reitz Union through an expanded food court, includes a parking garage, along with a new bookstore. The bookstore, along with the student ID card services, replaced existing facilities located at The Hub
The Hub (Gainesville, Florida)
The Hub, formerly known as the UF Bookstore, is a historic building on Stadium Road between Buckman Drive and Fletcher Drive on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida in the United States. On June 24, 2008, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.Built in...
.
The union was named in honor of J. Wayne Reitz
J. Wayne Reitz
Julius Wayne Reitz was an American agricultural economist, professor and university president. Reitz was a native of Kansas, and earned bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in his chosen field. After working as an agricultural economist, university professor and U.S...
, the fifth president of the university, who served from 1955 to 1967.
Facility Specifics
- In 1967, the official size of the structure was 267000 square feet (24,805.1 m²).
- The total cost at that time was $5.7 million.
- The cost of construction was $4.4 million.
- The architects for the project were Barrett, Daffin and Bishop of Tallahassee, FloridaTallahassee, FloridaTallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
, and Moore and May of Gainesville, Florida.
Union Amenities
The Student Union is home to many services and shops for student convenience. Shops are owned by both corporations and the University, and upper floors contain meeting rooms for student clubs and a hotelHotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
. The union is eight floors including the basement/plaza. Outside the union is a bicycle repair facility, sponsored by the University of Florida Student Government.
A full map of the building is viewable at the Reitz Union website.
Basement
- Arts and Crafts Center
- Meeting rooms
- Gator Dining Services satellite office
- Maintenance, A/V Services, Productions, Housekeeping, and IT Services department offices
Ground Floor
- Orange and Brew (barBar (establishment)A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
/coffeeshopCoffeehouseA coffeehouse or coffee shop is an establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee or other hot beverages. It shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant, but it is different from a cafeteria. As the name suggests, coffeehouses focus on...
/restaurantRestaurantA restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
) - Campus Copy Fax & Pack http://www.union.ufl.edu/campuscopy
- Freshens
- P.O.D (Provisions On Demand)
- SubwaySubway (restaurant)Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
- Game RoomVideo arcadeAn amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
, including bowling alley and pool tableshttp://www.union.ufl.edu/games - Gator 1 Central (student ID cardStudent numberA student number is the number assigned to a student upon first entering or registering with an educational institution and is used to identify the student in lieu of a name for grades, essays, projects, exams and official documents.-Austria:...
services) - KaplanKaplan, Inc.Kaplan, Inc. is a for-profit corporation headquartered in New York City and was founded in 1938 by Stanley Kaplan. Kaplan provides higher education programs, professional training courses, test preparation materials and other services for various levels of education...
Education Center - The Outfitter, a retail store that rents and sells outdoor/camping supplies
- Reitz Union Hair Company (barberBarberA barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
shop) - Talking Walls (frame shopPicture frameA picture frame is a decorative edging for a picture, such as a painting or photograph, intended to enhance it, make it easier to display, or protect it.-Construction:...
) - Wells FargoWells FargoWells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
(bankBankA bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
)
First Floor
- University Box Office
- University Bookstore
- Information desk
- Indoor food courtFood courtA food court is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dining. Food courts may be found in shopping malls and airports, and in various regions may be a standalone development...
, including StarbucksStarbucksStarbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
, and Pollo TropicalPollo TropicalPollo Tropical is a restaurant chain specializing in the Floribbean cuisine of South Florida . The chain has its headquarters in Kendall, unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida.The first Pollo Tropical opened in November 1988, in Miami... - Papa Johns, Panda ExpressPanda ExpressPanda Express is a fast casual restaurant chain serving American Chinese cuisine. It operates mainly inside the United States, in casinos, shopping malls, supermarkets, airports, train stations, strip plazas, theme parks, stadiums, college campuses and The Pentagon...
, Home Zone, Croutons - Student study lounges
- Administrative Offices
- Classic Fare Catering Office
- Event Services Office
Second Floor
- Grand Ballroom
- Rion Ballroom
- Reitz Union Cinema (auditoriumAuditoriumAn auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
often used as a movie theaterMovie theaterA movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
) - University Gallery
- Meeting rooms
Third Floor
- Student Government offices
- Reitz Union Board
- Center for Student Activities and Involvement
- Office of Campus Programs
- Student Legal Services (including notaryNotaryA notary is a lawyer or person with legal training who is licensed by the state to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents...
services) - Office of Sorority and Fraternity Affairs (office of the Division of Student Affairs dealing with fraternities and sororitiesFraternities and sororitiesFraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
) - Classic Fare Catering
- Several meeting rooms
Renew Your Reitz campaign
In February 2010, university president Bernie MachenBernie Machen
James Bernard "Bernie" Machen is an American university professor and administrator. Machen is a native of Mississippi, and earned multiple academic degrees before becoming a university administrator and president...
, members of the university's board of trustees, student leaders, and other university officials launched an aggressive campaign to spend $90 million to make repairs and expand the outdated building, which has an estimated $42.5 million in needed repairs. The expansion would include a 24-hour study center, a new parking garage (750 spaces), an expanded printing lab, more restaurant selections, new multipurpose meeting rooms, a 1,500-seat auditorium, and a cutting-edge fitness center. About $60 million of this cost would come from a proposed student fee, which would increase tuition rates by $3 per credit hour plus a $20 flat fee each semester. This fee would likely be in effect for the next 30 years.
On February 23-24th, 2010, about 9,775 UF students voted on this issue, with nearly 56% voting against the proposed fee to cover repairs of the Reitz Union, and 55% voting against funding the expansion. The Student Government will explore multiple alternative sources for renovating the aging student center, including the Public Education Capital Outlay, and the Capital Improvement Trust Fund, a fund to which all public university students contribute.
See also
- History of the University of FloridaHistory of the University of FloridaThe history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university by the...
- List of University of Florida buildings