KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — Friday was an exceptional day to be a Bronco.
City, state and university officials and hundreds of alumni gathered to snip the ribbon on the new Heritage Hall Alumni Center overlooking Kalamazoo.
Hundreds more showed up than university officials were expecting for the afternoon event. Alumni Association President Jennifer Brinn Lentner welcomed the large crowd back to the top of Prospect Hill.
University President John Dunn says they hope to get a lot of new use out of the old building, the oldest on campus, which has been re-purposed to be one of its most modern.
The building will house the Alumni relations and their fundraising operations. There are a number of conference rooms, one that will be used by the Board of Trustees for meetings.
There is also a grand ballroom and a grand patio with views of the city of Kalamazoo below that will also be available for public and community use.
The building, which once served as the entire university, was first dedicated 100 years ago. It was originally built for $53,000, partially paid for by a bond issue approved by Kalamazoo voters. The renovation cost $24 million and was mostly covered by donors.
– John McNeill
