A student walks by a welcome sign April 20 near The Market inside the University Center. The UC opened in 1953 and stretches across 242,000 square feet.
Editor’s note: Associate news editor Taylor Sansom wrote the text for this article.
For more than 70 years, the current University Center has served as the heart of campus. The space is where Mavericks gather to eat, study and unwind.
Stretching 242,000 square feet, the building houses eight dining options, hosts around 8,000 events annually and features the only wood-burning fireplace on campus. The building includes the Career Development Center, a market, multiple lounge spaces and event rooms, such as the Bluebonnet Ballroom, the Palo Duro Lounge, Carlisle Suite and more.
Renovations to the center are set to begin in the summer starting with utility work, UTA President Jennifer Cowley said during a Cookies with Cowley event in April. The space is projected to open in December 2028.
In April 2024, the student body voted to approve a renovation and expansion to the UC by increasing the student union fee.
The measure passed with 1,191 votes in favor and 952 opposed, according to previous Shorthorn reporting.
Proposed improvements to the building called for modernized student lounge spaces, new meeting spaces, new study spaces and infrastructure improvements. The new area would stop at ground level, with no basement or lower level.
Students walk out of the University Center on April 20 at UTA. Renovations for the new UC are set to start in the summer.
Students wait for their orders in front of Chick-fil-A on April 20 inside the University Center. The Plaza, where Chick-fil-A and other restaurants now sit, opened in 1991.
Computer science freshman Nguyen Vu scrolls on her computer April 20 on the second floor of the University Center. Vu said she likes the second floor of the UC because it’s a quiet and comfortable place to study.
Students sit in the Palo Duro Lounge on April 17 inside the University Center. The lounge hosts events throughout the year, including Cookies with Cowley and Global Grounds.
Graduate students Joisha Girme, left, and Chandan Chaudhary have lunch April 20 outside the University Center. The UC offers around eight dining options for students and faculty.
Biology senior Dylan Pham looks at a bulletin board full of posters April 20 at the University Center. Pham said he goes to the UC for lunch once or twice a week.
Students walk past the Campus Information Center on April 20 in the University Center. The Ernest H. Hereford bust sat in front of the information center before being moved to the Central Library.
Students walk past The Plaza on April 20 inside the University Center. Restaurants such as Panda Express and The Pit Stop are located in The Plaza.
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