By Esteban Chavez
The University of Louisville celebrated the first steps toward expanding Community Park on Thursday. The ground was broken and shifted to make way for new university student housing.
A crowd of Greek organizations and alumni gathered for the event. Todd Schmiedeler led the task force to make Community Park a reality.
“A decade from now people will not remember the work that it took or the commitment the university made, but it will change the lives of the people that are on this campus,” he said.
Schmiedeler said that there are currently 21 Greek organizations aligned with this campus. This new development will lead to the housing of 19 of the 21 groups. Presently, only 11 of the Greek organizations are housed on campus. Community Park will be able to house a total of 350 students.
“There is more construction taking place on the campus than any other time in the history of the University of Louisville,” university President James Ramsey told the crowd.
The building will sport a modern design and consist of both private and double rooms. The rooms will be fully furnished and carpeted, with microwaves and refrigerators. Five community suites will divide the ground floor, with a private kitchen and bathroom amending each suite. A courtyard is also in the works to join the building with existing Greek houses along Unity Place.
“Our goal is to make this an alive, vibrant campus,” Ramsey said.
Student Government Association President-elect Bill Brammell addressed the audience, saying that with the opening of Community Park “all organizations will have a home on the campus.” Brammell encourages all students to get involved with projects that will serve future generations of students. He commented on the effect this project will have on the student body as a whole, and said the building will also serve the traditional African-American organizations as well.
“It’s bringing together students that haven’t meshed together into one building,” he said.
Community Park is scheduled to open in the fall of 2006.
