by Amanda Bertholf // Spring 2011

UMKC students now have a new spot on campus where they can study, grab a bite to eat or meet up between classes. The current student population of about 14,500 had outgrown the University Center, which was built in 1961 for a student population of about 3,600. After almost two years of construction, the 110,000-square-foot, $38.3 million Student Union had its grand opening in October 2010. The new Student Union will be able to accommodate the university’s continuously increasing enrollment. The environmentally friendly, LEED-certified building has everything a student could need and more: a food court (featuring Baja Fresh, Chick-Fil-A and Jazzman’s Café and Bakery), coffee house, retail space, printing and copying services, meeting rooms, stage area, lounge seating, game room, atrium and expanded parking garage. It also features a two-story bookstore, movie theater, outside bicycle storage, public transportation access, storm water control and a rooftop patio overlooking the Country Club Plaza. UMKC students were the force behind the project and funded it entirely with student fees.