Breaking News!

     Students at the University of North Texas voted to approve a fee increase of  $115 each semester to fund a renovated and expanded university union on the UNT campus. The new fee will go into effect in Fall 2014.
     The official results of the student vote, which took place April 2 – 6 (Monday through Friday), show that more than 2,000 students voted on the union referendum and 54 percent approved the fee increase.
     “The new union will provide enhanced services, facilities and programs for the entire UNT community,” said Zane Reif, director of activities and the university union. “The new union design concept also will be a home away from home for all current and future students, and the building’s sustainable design will continue UNT’s legacy as an environmentally friendly campus.”
     The current university union, built in the 1970s, was designed to serve about 17,000 students. The UNT campus has grown to about 36,000 students and more than 2.5 million students visit the university union every year.
     Construction on the new union is expected to cost about $130 million, and is designed to more than double the amount of student organization space provided in the current union, and will provide double the space for student lounges and art galleries. The new union also will provide more food service and entertainment space, auditorium and meeting space, a larger bookstore, state-of-the-art technology and sustainable design. The new union is designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
     “I’m glad to see that the will of the students has been considered, and I’m happy to see UNT have a wonderful new union,” said Student Government Association President Blake Windham.
     Construction on the new union is expected to begin in June 2013 and is expected to take about two years. During that time, all programs and services housed in the current union will continue to operate in nearby locations convenient to students, faculty and staff.

Greetings to our fellow members of the Eagle Community:

The past few months have been an exciting time for us, as we have begun the process to gauge and assess the needs of the campus for a new and advanced University Union space. A new Union would provide opportunities for enhanced services, facilities, and programs for the UNT community. During this process, a committee led by students, staff, and administrators worked with local architects and designers who specialize in Student Life projects to develop a uniquely-tailored facility that will ensure over the course of our student careers and those of future eagles, not only a place to supplement your college experience, but a "home away from home," a place to relax, to enjoy, and most importantly enhance your academic learning experience.

This website has been established to serve as an up-to-date information portal for students and members of the UNT community to find out all of the details of the Union Master Plan project. It is our hope to maintain open communication channels and full transparency during this process. We are committed to offering you the latest in updates on every aspect, from fleer plans to cost models, and referendum voting information. We hope that this will be useful to you as you prepare to make your vote count for the future of the University Union and the UNT campus.

The current University Union facility has been in operation for more than 40 years, designed to provide services and programs for a campus of just 15,000 students. Over the years this building has housed many different departments, some proving the test of time which have made their imprint on the UNT campus. In 2012, we are looking to make a change, to expand and better serve each of the 40,000+ UNT students and the future. This is your Union, your home away from home, and we greatly appreciate the opportunity to serve you. Please take the time to look over this information.

Best,
Your Master Planning Team

Artist Renderings

Below are several color renderings of the new Union created by the architects of Perkins+Will, that were recently presented at a SGA presentation in late February. What do you think?