Lory Student Center To Re-Open Monday; Employees Prepare Building For Colorado State Students Once Again
Thursday, August 21, 1997
FORT COLLINS--For Lory Student Center Director Martha Blood
and 200 students and staff who worked tirelessly to prepare for
students returning to Colorado State University, Monday will have
special meaning.
The Lory Student Center, which has been closed since the
July 28 flood, is scheduled to re-open to the public at 7 a.m.
Monday. A temporary university bookstore, also located in the
student center, will open at 7:30 a.m.
Access to the student center is restricted to the first and
second floors and all main entrances leading to these areas will
be open. The lower level of the building is closed. Wheelchair
access to elevators will be available on the lower level at the
northwest entrance of the building.
"When the flood came, the lower level of the student center
was devastated. The task of cleanup and recovery in such a short
time period seemed so overwhelming," Blood said. "But we have
made every effort possible to bring this building back to life
and offer students the quality service they've come to expect."
Lory Student Center officials expect that most services
located on the first and second floors will be available,
including food service and retail stores. The Rambouillet Room, a
restaurant for university faculty and staff, is currently serving
as a temporary storage area for the bookstore and will not re-
open to the public until permanent storage space is identified.
During the flood, a river of water raged through the lower
level of the student center, destroying the University Bookstore,
the bowling alley, game room and theater, as well as restaurants,
offices for student clubs and the Ramskeller lounge for students.
Offices for Campus TV, Rocky Mountain Collegian and KCSU also
were damaged extensively.
Student clubs have been relocated to the office of
Associated Students of CSU and can be reached at 491-1115. The
Office of Community Services has moved to Allison Hall and can be
reached at 491-1682. For information about operations and
services in the Lory Student Center, call 491-6444.
Student media offices have moved to the old Fort Collins
High School annex, 1400 Remington St., and can be reached at
222-2062. The Collegian also has established a booth on the main
floor for classified advertising purchases.
In the weeks since the flood, contractors have removed
debris and stripped the building down to bare walls. Crews have
continuously pumped air into the lower level to prevent the
growth of mildew and to make way for the rebuilding phase.
Environmental health officials conducted numerous air and water
tests and building inspections to ensure public safety prior to
opening the building.
Blood said a committee already has been established to lead
rebuilding efforts. Students, faculty and staff will be asked to
give input through Sept. 29 on the amenities they'd like to see
in the lower level of the building before architectural drawings
and engineers begin work. Surveys will be passed out during the
first week of classes or individuals may call the remodeling
committee hotline at 491-6916 or give input via e-mail at
recom@vines.colostate.edu.
"We are moving ahead quickly with a plan to rebuild what we
lost," Blood said. "This presents a great opportunity to add new
services and programs that we may not have otherwise had and we
ask that the campus community help us make those decisions."
Although most students were on summer break when the flood
hit, they will have an opportunity to see its effects first-hand.
Lory Student Center staff have created a display near the Campus
Activities office featuring newspaper clippings and photographs
documenting the flood.
Blood also has erected a temporary wall in the stairway
leading to the lower level, where flood-weary employees have
scribbled thoughts about the Flood of '97. Blood has posted her
own tribute to the long hours student center staff has invested
in recovery and cleanup efforts over the past several weeks.
The poster features a quote from Margaret Mead that reads:
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world. Indeed it's the only thing that ever has."
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