North Texas Daily

The Hurley Landscape Project, which will feature new walkways and a congregational area and is expected to be completed in December. A free-standing Starbucks will be built at the intersection of the pathway behind Willis Library and the pathway along the south side of the Administration Building and is expected to be completed by the end of next summer.

Joe Ferguson, who works with Nouveau Construction — the construction company for the project — is one of the people in charge of the construction for the project. Ferguson said the project is “to beautify the area.”

“[The area has] been pretty desolate the past few years,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson said rain has been one of the main reasons for delay, which has pushed back the timetable for construction. When construction began in the summer, the projected time of completion was September. Ferguson said they are still in the excavation stage.

The project, located between Willis Library and the Hurley Administration Building, will extend from the library mall. The walkway will also serve as a gathering place with various landscaping and greenery lining the sidewalks and pavement.

Media arts junior Lucas Hinojos said he wishes the process was quicker and sees the construction as an inconvenience when he walks around campus.

“I don’t mind it too much, I just wish they finished it earlier,” Hinojos said. “I literally just tried walking over there and I was like, ‘Oh wait, I can’t pass through because of the construction.’”

Journalism junior Noah Irvin also said he thinks the construction is an inconvenience. Because the project is taking longer than expected, Irvin said he has high expectations for the final result.

“It has zero appeal to me,” Irvin said. “It’s like you’re just walking. Just put some trees, that’s fine, but you don’t need to do all this construction.”

David Reynolds, the associate vice president of facilities at UNT, said he is looking forward to the project being completed.

“I’m most excited about creating a space that’s going to be more heavily used by students,” Reynolds said. “It’s great to see everybody out at the Library Mall all the time. This will kind of expand the area people will want to use.”

Reynolds said the space will serve as another communal area similar to the library mall. Improved drainage will better accommodate the area for university events.

In addition to the main walkways, there will be seating nooks built along the rock wall behind Willis Library, Reynolds said. One pathway will end with a set of stairs going up the rock wall.

“We want people to be outside, and there’s not just a sea of concrete or a sea of asphalt,” Reynolds said. “Do some things to make it really appealing. We try to do that with all the landscaping around the campus.”

As for the stand-alone Starbucks, there will be no inside seating but a few seats outside of the building. Reynolds said the purpose of the additional Starbucks is to address the high demand for drinks and draw in a new crowd separate from the Union.

Featured Image: Construction on a new garden between the Hurley Administration Building and the Willis Library is set to finish in December. Emilia Capuchino