University of Minnesota's historic Jones Hall to have grand reopening Sept. 6
What: Grand reopening of Jones Hall after remodeling project
When: Noon - 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6
Who: Steven Rosenstone, dean of the College of Liberal Arts; Wayne Sigler, director of admissions; Jenise Rowekamp, director of the Language Center; Bill Beyer, architect
Contacts: Kelly OBrien, College of Liberal Arts, (612) 624-4109
Mark Cassutt, University News Service, (612) 624-8038
(08/30/2005) —The University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts (CLA) will host the grand reopening of historic Jones Hall from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6, at Jones Hall, 27 Pleasant St. S.E., Minneapolis.
The university community and general public will celebrate the reopening with a ceremonial ribbon cutting at noon, music by the School of Music Steel Drum Band and greetings in some of the 38 languages taught at the university. Building tours will be conducted following the ceremony.
As part of the remodeling project, this 1901 Renaissance Revival-style building has been updated with central air conditioning, new windows, state of the art communications and electrical capabilities and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) upgrades, among many other improvements. Even though this historically-designated building has been modernized, it still maintains important historic features such as stair treads and banisters, paneled doors, arched ceilings and its terra cotta façade.
The new and improved Jones Hall will be home to the College of Liberal Arts Language Center and the U of M Freshman Admissions Welcome Center.
“Minnesota should be proud of what was done to preserve this historic building and, at the same time, turn a 104-year-old structure into a facility that supports state of the art research in language instruction and provides a welcoming atmosphere for prospective students,” said Steven Rosenstone, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. “Jones Hall is an example of the university and College of Liberal Arts’ commitment to being good stewards of the public’s resources. We are very grateful for the continued support of the state and the Minnesota community.”
Jones Hall and Nicholson Hall, which is slated to reopen in January 2006, are part of the burgeoning humanities district in the historic knoll area of the East Bank campus.
Tours of Jones Hall are available now. The following people are available for interviews regarding Jones Hall: Jenise Rowekamp, director of the CLA Language Center; Bill Beyer, architect; and Steven Rosenstone. To schedule a visit or interview please contact Kelly O’Brien at (612) 624-4109.