Atheneum Hall to get a new face

Atheneum Hall, one of the oldest buildings on the Coastal Carolina University campus, is getting a renovation that will reconfigure the space for an alumni headquarters and for social events.

The renovation, which started in January, will convert half the office space in the facility into meeting and dining/ballroom space, plus the installation of a new kitchen and prep area. The project will also address deferred maintenance needs in this 48 year-old building to include roofing, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.

Atheneum Hall was dedicated in October 1966 as a “general purpose student union” building that housed a cafeteria. It was where students started their college experiences, dining together and enjoying one another’s company.

At the request of CCU alumni and with approval of the board of trustees, the intent of this project is to renovate Atheneum Hall into an alumni facility, with office space for alumni relations staff, dining and meeting facilities for alumni events and two suites for visiting faculty.

Atheneum Hall won’t be just for alumni, however. “The building will host student events so that current students become familiar with the building when they come back to visit as alumni, Atheneum Hall will serve as a home base,” said Jean Ann Brakefield, director of alumni relations.

Framed photographic scenes of CCU and Atheneum Hall through the years will be on display in the hallway.
“This touch will bring everything together,” says Brakefield. “Everyone who has graduated will be able to look at these pictures and reminisce on their days here.”

The added meeting space and ballroom will open onto the new patio and will create an inviting space for meetings and special events. Brick pavers engraved with the names of alumni and donors will shape the Alumni Walk leading up to the Atheneum. Eight-by-eight-inch pavers will sell for $250 and can be purchased through the Office of Alumni Relations or by visiting www.ccubrick.com.

“We are so excited about what the building will look like in the end with all the updates,” Brakefield said. “This building will sure to be one that all alumni will be proud to call home.”

Atheneum Hall should be finished by late December 2014 or early January 2015. Several areas of the building have been named, such as the Pi Kappa Phi Patio, the Alford Dining Room, the Dan Sine Lobby and Veterans Hall. Additional naming opportunities are still available.