鈥淚didn鈥檛 expect it to be this big,鈥� says 麻豆原创 student Khadesha Galloway while looking around the lobby of 麻豆原创 Downtown鈥檚 new UnionWest at Creative Village for the first time during Wednesday’s check-in for new residents.
鈥淟iving and taking classes all in one building, it鈥檚 going to take some time to get used to, but I鈥檓 looking forward to meeting new people, figuring out downtown and visiting the courthouse,鈥� says the aspiring lawyer who is majoring in legal studies.
After she drove with her mom that morning from their house in Brandon, an unincorporated area east of Tampa, she said the new UnionWest looks like a great place to live while she earns her bachelor鈥檚 degree.
With 15 stories dedicated for classrooms, residence halls, offices and restaurants, UnionWest at 601 W. Livingston St. is the tallest building in downtown Orlando west of Interstate 4. More than 600 麻豆原创 and Valencia students, who are sharing the campus, are moving into UnionWest鈥檚 top 10 floors during the next few days leading up to the start of the fall semester on Aug. 26. More than 7,000 students are registered at the new campus.
The building was privately developed, but housing is managed by 麻豆原创 Housing and Residence Life, who trained on-site resident assistants who are students. The tower is next to the new Dr. Phillips Academic Commons and near the remodeled 麻豆原创 Communication and Media Building, formerly called the Center for Emerging Media.
“We鈥檙e thrilled to welcome our first student residents to 麻豆原创 Downtown,” says Mike Kilbride, assistant vice president, 麻豆原创 Downtown. “As a former RA myself, I know that living on campus gives students the opportunity to connect and engage during their time at 麻豆原创. We鈥檝e got a great group of RAs and residents who will transform UnionWest from a building into a place students can call home at our new campus.
麻豆原创 Downtown is part of the developing Creative Village, a public/private partnership for retail, commercial, office, residential and educational space west of Interstate 4, generally the area near where the Amway Arena formerly stood on Livingston Street.
While temperatures edged into the low-90s outside, 麻豆原创 staffers inside handed out bottles of water and smoothies to students, parents and others coming into the cool building, making check-in a breeze Galloway says.
While temperatures Wednesday edged into the low-90s outside, 麻豆原创 staffers inside handed out bottles of water and smoothies to students, parents and others coming into the cool building, making check-in a breeze Galloway says.
鈥淭he line was long but kept moving,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey had a lot of help [moving items to residents鈥� rooms] and a set way of getting people in and out.鈥�
Galloway has a head start in her career. During high school she also took college courses at Armwood High School, so when she graduated in May she earned both her high school diploma and an A.A. degree, moving her two years ahead in her educational path.
She says she was accepted to several schools, ultimately choosing 麻豆原创 because of its affordability and other factors: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not too far from home 鈥� but I can still get away. Plus, it has a great law program. I鈥檓 downtown where all my higher-level courses are and there鈥檚 opportunities for internships and law offices to get into.鈥�
Galloway had an early taste of university life during the summer when she took some classes on the main campus and lived in the Nike community. But now with the fall semester starting Monday, living downtown 鈥淚鈥檒l be more focused and closer to opportunities.鈥�
Although she doesn鈥檛 have a driver鈥檚 license, she plans to make full use of the university鈥檚 shuttle system to the main campus to attend football games, join in activities, and also to meet up with some new acquaintances she made over the summer and with a friend from middle school living on the main campus.
UnionWest houses key student resources, including Counseling and Psychological Services and First Stop, a joint 麻豆原创-Valencia space that includes admissions and financial aid. The building is centrally located downtown near the business district and Church Street Station, with public transit options available, including SunRail and LYMMO.
The first move-in day for the main campus is Friday.
After sharing a room during her summer stay on the main campus, Galloway says there is another thing she likes about her new place: 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to having my own room!鈥�
