The southwest corner of Andrus field is again bustling with student life, thanks to a series of renovated and new buildings as part of the campus Master Plan.

The long-awaited Suzanne Lemberg Usdan University Center opened its doors Aug. 24 and promises to be the nucleus of the campus community. The center is the hub of campus dining and also boasts University offices, a mailroom, retail space, meeting rooms and more.

There are several projects within Usdan (pronounced “Yooz-dan”) that remain unfinished.

“At this point, it’s really punchlist items [that need to be done],” said University Center Director and Dean of Campus Programs Rick Culliton. “As you can imagine on a project of this scope, the architect, the contractor and all of us are going through it and looking at minor adjustments throughout the building that they’re whittling away at.”

The dining operations are fully in use. Bon Appétit, the campus’s food service provider beginning this semester, has an array of eating options in the center. The first floor features a café that serves soups, salads, sandwiches, sushi, and coffee, accompanied by an open seating area.

The second floor marketplace, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, consists of different food stations, including “Sizzle” for burgers, “Fresco” for vegan fare, the replacement Kosher Kitchen called “Shalom-Salaam,” and a Mongolian grill. Customers can also purchase pizza, wraps, and deli-style sandwiches.

On each side of the floor is a dining room that holds approximately 315 people. With the café seating downstairs, and outdoor tables and chairs, Usdan has a total of about 750 seats.

Faculty and staff, who have not had a nearby place to eat since Downey House underwent renovation, will eat on the third floor.

The basement holds the student corridor, comprised of a game room, a music room for steel drums, and a multipurpose room that will, amongst other things, be used as a meeting room for the football team during halftime at home games.

“During Usdan’s construction, we had tents set up with chairs to use during halftime, and it was outside and kind of miserable,” recalled Zach Librizzi ’08, one of the team’s captains. “I personally didn’t like it. When it was windy and wet, you’d be soaked before you got on the field. We’re all excited to be using the University Center.”

An impressive aspect of the center is its new technology. There are about a dozen standing computer kiosks, several information touch-screens that feature an interactive map of campus, and screens on each floor displaying event calendars.

A number of University offices will relocate to Usdan, such as Student Activities and Leadership Development, Events and Scheduling, and the Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA). WSA President Matt Ball ’08 discussed the assembly’s relocation from 190 High St., which will house various other student groups.

“Our old office, even though it wasn’t in a bad site, was a little far away,” Ball said. “We want to be more of a resource on campus for students, so being closer to where student life is makes it easier to stop by and work with the WSA.”

The University Box Office and Post Office were also moved from the Davenport Campus Center to Usdan. The post office has 3100 boxes and spans two floors with a basement-level window for large packages.

Two retail spaces are found in Usdan: the Cardinal Technology Center and a University Store stocked with Wesleyan paraphernalia. There are also five meeting rooms that can be configured for lectures, seminars, and banquets.

The opening of Usdan has created more jobs on campus.

“There are about 20 more student staff positions and a couple of new professional staff positions as well as the relocation of several existing staff from other areas of campus,” Culliton said. “Bon Appétit has additional dining positions as well.”

The center is named for the late benefactress Suzanne Lemberg Usdan, and was primarily funded by John ’80 and Eva Usdan, Adam Usdan ’83 and Andrea Pollack, and Esme Usdan and James Snyder. Both John and Adam serve on the University’s Board of Trustees.

The center was designed by Kallman McKinnell and Wood Architects. Project Manager Alan Rubacha praised the architects’ efforts.

“In terms of how it addresses the campus architecture, I think they did a spectacular job,” Rubacha said. “The new building does a good job of filling in Andrus Field. The center is gracious and welcoming on campus.”

Demolition for the $47 million project that included the renovation of Fayerweather gym and the old squash courts began in the summer of 2005. According to Culliton, Fayerweather will formally open this Friday, but classes have been held in the new facility since Wednesday of this week.

“Our target date for Fayerweather has been the beginning of classes and we believe that it will be completed by next week,” he said. “It will be done about a week later than Usdan and that has just been a result of the construction schedule.”

Fayerweather was carefully gutted to preserve the turrets, a familiar sight lining Andrus Field. It will contain theater and dance rehearsal spaces as well as Beckham Hall named for former Dean of the College Edgar Beckham. The hall will be able to hold 250 people.

The last component of the project, the old Squash Courts, is still awaiting its future reconstruction as the University Museum.

Davenport, the former campus center, will be empty for the time being, according to Culliton.

“Davenport is being considered for academic space to provide classroom and faculty office space,” Culliton said. “As the fundraising continues for those renovations, Davenport will likely sit idle for part of the 2007-08 academic year.”

A dedication dinner for the Usdan University Center is scheduled for Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. All members of the campus community are invited.