Student activities complex to open Oct. 26 with ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house

University of Richmond’s new $5 million student activities complex, a set of nine buildings and a courtyard that will provide space for activities of student organizations and sororities, will open Oct. 26, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4:30 p.m. and an open house from 4 – 6 p.m. The public is invited to tour the new space, located just off College Road, on Westhampton Way.

Alison Bartel Keller, director of student activities, said the complex was constructed in order to better unify students.  “One way of doing that is to designate a space that the student community identifies with as a place to go to sponsor events, be energized or interact with others,” she said.

Members of sororities were involved in planning the seven sorority cottages, and student leaders assisted in planning the main activities building and smaller Spider Cottage, Keller said.

The complex comprises:

• Cottage Court, eight individual cottages – one dedicated to each of the university’s seven sororities and one for use by any other  student organization. Sororities will use their cottages for sisterhood activities, alumni and educational programs, ritual events, recruitment activities and to display their awards, symbols and composites. Cottage Court will open officially at Homecoming, Nov. 3.

• Cottage Courtyard, an enclosed, landscaped area surrounded by Cottage Court and equipped with a sound system to facilitate creative and innovative planning for all students.

• A student center – recently named “The Web.” The building’s nearly 1,500 square feet house two meeting rooms and a large open area available for a variety of student programs, meetings and events. The Web, equipped with a kitchen, will serve as a conference center during the summer.

• Spider Cottage, part of Cottage Court, will provide meeting space, a kitchen and access to Cottage Courtyard. It is available for use by any campus club or organization.

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