University officials announced plans for a new student center that will replace Norris University Center.

The structure, called University Commons, will be approximately 209,000 square feet, a 21 percent increase in usable space compared to Norris. In a press release, vice president for student affairs Patricia Telles-Irvin said the Educational Properties Committee of the Board of Trustees approved the design for the University Commons, which was created by New York firm Ennead Architects.

“The University Commons will be the beacon on the lake that will bring campus members together in a place that promotes community, engagement and inclusion,” Telles-Irvin said in the press release.

A timeline for the center’s construction is still being finalized. Telles-Irvin will unveil a model of the new University Commons on Friday, which will be on display on the ground floor of Norris.

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