Late this summer, workers blasted through a parking garage and brick wall between the two Grad Towers to create a new street from Chestnut to Sansom that will serve as the main entrance to the hotel. The renovation of Logan Hall was finished last January. Renovation of Irvine Auditorium, closed since last summer, is 30-35 percent done, says Blaik. The project, targeted for completion next fall, will restore the interior decoration, improve acoustics, and create cafes and new rehearsal rooms and performance spaces by closing off the auditorium's sides, eliminating seats that have a poor view of the stage. The basement will also include magazine, card, and other stores, and a game area.
Negotiations are under way with some leading purveyors of computer games.
The current structure will be demolished, most likely during the coming winter break, says Blaik. By the end of the school year, a number of shops had already relocated off-campus. One long-time tenant, University Jewelers, moved to the 3401 Walnut Street building. However, at this writing, no agreement had been reached between the University and another area institution, the Penn Book Center, for a space on campus. The fate of the Book Center and other independent bookstores, such as House of Our Own at 39th and Spruce Streets, became an issue in campus discussions over Barnes and Noble's management of the new University bookstore.