Nastacia Voisin |
Returning students can expect to see a transformed Pilot House when they trickle back to campus in August, assuming construction work keeps to schedule.
Renovation work is slated to begin in May now that the project is fully funded, according to Jim Ravelli, vice president for University Operations. Over the summer, The Cove will close as the building is gutted and refitted to include a bar, a permanent stage, more seating and a renovated kitchen. The Bookstore will stay open.
Ravelli said he’s looking forward to watching the transformation.
“It’s been in the works for years,” he said. “Being batted around as a priority, and now we have the funding, so it’s a go. It’s going to be a fun place on campus.”
With its restaurant-style interior, refitted kitchen and a new bar serving alcohol to students 21 and older, Ravelli said the new Pilot House will be tailored to work with programs such as Pilots After Dark.
Tyler Zimmerman, the weekend and late night program coordinator, said he hopes the updated space will be an alternative for upperclassmen looking for the downtown Portland experience. The laid-back, pub feel of the updated building might also draw bigger crowds, he said.
“We don’t have a student union building,” Zimmerman said. “So there’s not a lot of space on campus for student to feel like they can have their own cultural experience.”
Not only would he like to see the Pilot House become “a hub of student energy and buzz,” but having a designated, aesthetically appealing space for performers will make booking artists easier.
“Everything will be more natural,” he said. “As opposed to, ‘We had to move mountains to get this band in.’”
Over the summer construction crews may claim some parking space, but Ravelli said the plan is to wrap up renovations before the start for fall semester, as early as September.
“This is an exciting project,” Ravelli said. “And I’m looking forward watching it come together.”
Nastacia Voisin is a reporter and copy editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at voisin15@up.edu.
