CSULB unveils major Student Union renovation to create cutting-edge campus hub
Get ready – the University Student Union (USU) will experience a major renovation and expansion in the coming months and years, transforming the heart of the CSULB campus into a dynamic, student-centered space, carefully designed to meet the needs of the next generations of students.
It will be a vast improvement – in fact, a reinvention of the center of campus. The USU needs physical upgrades, retrofitting and other critical improvements. The original building was built in 1972 to accommodate a campus of about 10,000 students.
Now that the student population is around 40,000, the USU needs to accommodate four times as many students and provide the latest and best in technology, wellness and services.
“This project is significant because it will help make our university truly student ready,” said Miles Nevin, associate vice president of Student Auxiliary Enterprises, which comprises Associated Students, Inc. and Beach Shops. “We are consolidating Basic Needs, Student Activities and student resource centers. We are adding a large wellness center, a new dining plaza, and doubling the size of our ballroom. These are strategic efforts to place key services where students can conveniently access them.”
The $315 million renovation and expansion project – dubbed “The Future U” – is more than just a building project. It’s a reimagination of the USU to make it a vital, 21st century center for students to meet, eat, study and socialize. And it’s the largest USU renovation and expansion ever undertaken in the California State University system.
Here’s a look at the Future U, and some of the game-changing elements and amenities that are coming in the future.
New look for interior, exterior
The inside of the USU will look quite different. Most interior partitions and all interior ceilings, flooring and lighting fixtures will be removed and replaced. All existing utilities, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, storm drain, sewer, water and fire protection systems will be replaced to meet current safety and code standards. Upgrades will address seismic issues, waterproofing, Wi-Fi and the HVAC system.
On the exterior, all existing built-up roofing systems will be removed and replaced. The south building appendages, aka the “Sphinx Arms,” plaza and grand stairs will be removed. The University Dining Plaza (UDP, cafeteria building) – which closed during COVID and never reopened – will be torn down.
In its place will be a two-story addition that will feature a new ballroom and food hall. It will physically connect to the existing structure along the west façade, as well as through a common courtyard with an overhead canopy. The ground floor will include a 900-person lecture-seating and 500-person round-table seating ballroom facility – compared to the current 250-person ballroom – with breakout meeting rooms and pre-function space. Nine different food vendors will move in, with an emphasis on variety, affordability and healthy options. The Nugget Grill and Pub will be reimagined.
The current Friendship Walk Stairs will be closed from April 14-Aug. 30 and will undergo a renovation to offer enhanced ADA pathways, ensuring a more accessible and inclusive connection between lower and upper campus. The new design will improve mobility for all users while incorporating integrated seating areas for relaxation, socializing and enjoying the campus atmosphere.
The planned reopening for the walk is Aug. 31. There will be fences, clear signs and walk-arounds; see the graphic below for details.
New Wellness Center
The Doctors Sabira & Nasir Tejani Wellness Center will include a holistic therapy/coaching room, a multiuse functional space, a calming room focused on stress reduction, a wellness lounge with massage chairs and mindfulness spaces or pods. The center will also provide a collaborative space for a Student Health Services CARES resource office, as well as 7,500 square feet of outdoor garden space featuring spaces for yoga, reflection, outdoor instruction and community-building activities.
The Wellness Center will offer programs in mindfulness, holistic fitness, nutrition and mental health resources.
The center will be named after doctors Sabira and Nasir Tejani, who have generously donated $3.5 million to make the center happen.
“Obviously, it’s on our minds about how to help the young students achieve what they want to do in their lives. In order to do that, staying healthy is very important,” said Nasir Tejani, a pediatrician specializing in newborn medicine. His wife Sabira has worked as a clinician in Student Health Services.
“This wellness center (aims) to improve the health of all and put them in a state of complete harmony of mind, body and spirit for their future growth,” he said.
Expanded Basic Needs
The Laurén Chalmers ’83 Beach Pantry and ASI Beach Kitchen programs, along with the Basic Needs offices, will move upstairs, where the ballroom is currently located, and will expand. The new location will increase awareness and provide more access to students, with extended hours and new offerings.
Office of Belonging and Inclusion
The Office of Belonging and Inclusion will move from its current location on the ground floor of FO3 into the new USU. Student resource centers – including the Latine, Black, and Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi Resource Centers – will move from FO4 to the new USU, making them more centrally located and accessible.
They will also be thoughtfully designed to support study, meetings and community-building among students who share common values.
Career Center satellite
The Career Development Center – currently located in Brotman Hall, Room 250 – will have a new satellite work development center strategically located along a major student pedestrian pathway. This should enhance its visibility and increase student usage.
More cool stuff
- Social spaces and lounge: There will be more informal gathering spaces and technologically ready study spaces in the new USU; more indoor and outdoor areas to eat; a parent/family lounge and community spaces.
- Recreation & entertainment: The Esports game room will expand for collegiate and academic partnerships; the bowling alley will be preserved; a new 22 West Media space will be created.
- Improved auditorium: The auditorium will get accessibility upgrades, seating replacement, and lighting and AV upgrades. New partitions, ceilings, fixtures and finishes will be installed.
- The escalator will be replaced with four “machine room-less” elevators that can quickly convey users to all building levels and transport riders from lower to upper campus. The elevators will be easily identifiable with an exterior coat of yellow paint and will be accessible and operational 24/7.
Sustainability
The contractor-architect team, Penta-Gensler, is pursuing LEED v4 new construction gold certification. The design will incorporate an array of sustainable strategies, including multiple solar panels for solar energy, carbon reduction throughout the renovation, and reuse of the existing building. Decorating the renovated grounds will be pollinator gardens with native plants, and signage to educate students about the various sustainable features within the building and site.
Temporary services and relocations
During the USU’s closure for renovation, ASI will temporarily relocate key campus resources, services and dining options to ensure continued support and service to the community. Operations and departments within the USU will be relocated between May and August, as follows:
- Meeting and event spaces will be relocated to The Pointe, PH1-4 classrooms, Anna W. Ngai Alumni Center and other campuswide reservable spaces throughout campus;
- ASI departments will be relocated to the University Bookstore, Student Recreation & Wellness Center (SRWC) and Peterson Hall 1 (PH1);
- State-side services and offices will be relocated to PH1;
- ASI administration will be relocated to Faculty Offices 5 (FO5);
- ASI Laurén Chalmers '83 Beach Pantry will be relocated to Student Health Services (SHS);
- Esports Lounge will be relocated to the University Library.
For a complete list of relocations, visit the Future U Resource Relocation page.
Food service options will also be relocated throughout campus. For a complete list of food options and their locations, visit the Future U Food Relocation page.
The USU will close starting in August and should reopen in summer 2028, with a grand reopening in August 2028, in time for the fall 2028 semester.
University officials hope the transition period will be smooth, and are confident the end result will be well worth it.
“We wouldn’t be in this building today if students in the 1970s hadn’t done it for future generations,” said Sylvana Cicero, assistant vice president and chief operating officer of Student Auxiliary Enterprises. “Now, we have the opportunity to continue that legacy for those who come after us, while still providing all the programs and services students rely on today.
“Our goal is to create a facility and programs that students can take pride in for years to come. We hope they will return, stay engaged and continue to be part of this space, knowing it remains a public building and part of their legacy.”
