Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center will be Friday, June 23, at 11 a.m. at the site of the former Alumni House on the Brigham Young University campus. The event will be broadcast live on KBYU-TV, BYU Television and KBYU-FM. (Rebroadcast information can be obtained by calling 800-298-5298 or visiting byubroadcasting.org.)
The ceremonies will be conducted by President Cecil O. Samuelson and will feature general authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and members of the Hinckley family.
Designed as a place to welcome friends of the university, the building will serve as a campus home for BYU alumni, a front gate to the university, a place to feel the BYU experience and will be a tribute to President Gordon B. Hinckley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and chair of the BYU Board of Trustees. The building is expected to be completed in fall 2007.
More than 50,000 students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the university have contributed thus far to the building. Anyone wishing to contribute may do so through byu.edu/gbhb.
The building will feature:
Three stories above ground with a lower level.
A distinctive clock tower and gabled roof to help identify the building and give it a homelike feeling.
A brick-and-stone exterior, with an inviting “backyard” space on the west side for university receptions and meetings.
Approximately 80,000 square feet.
A main floor that will provide hosting and meeting space for visitors and alumni. Included will be a visitors center that will tell the story of BYU and its relationship with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Second and third floors that will largely be office space.
A lower level that will hold much of the mechanical and electrical equipment for all four floors. The level will also include additional expansion capability.
Occupancy for various university advancement groups, including the Alumni Association, Annual Giving and Public Affairs and Guest Relations. (These departments have been housed in various locations around campus and will now enjoy a centralized space.) Building architects are FFKR Architects in Salt Lake City, and general contractors are Okland Construction in Salt Lake City and Span Construction and Engineering in Madera, Calif.
High-resolution renderings of the projected building are available at: http://byunews.byu.edu/photo-archive06-Jun-hinckley.aspx.
Writer: Cecelia Fielding
