After two years of renovations and upgrades, a newly revitalized Campus Center (CC) Ballroom at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has reopened to the campus community. Staff, faculty and students got their first look at the modernized facility in February through small group tours hosted by CC Meeting and Event Services.
The updated 6,240-square foot ballroom has a brighter look and feel, and features new flooring, paint, lighting, fixtures and AV equipment. A popular venue for many UH campus and community events, the space can be configured to accommodate various setups for small and large events, from 150 up to 500 guests, including lecture presentations, banquets, conferences and more. Members of the UH community can create an account at Mazévo to make online room requests for the ballroom, CC and Hemenway Hall meeting rooms and courtyards.
Latest phase of CC Complex renovation project
The ballroom renovations were part of the latest $10.1 million phase of the CC Complex Renovation and Expansion Project that also included repairs to the CC third floor gallery, repairing and repainting the CC courtyard stairs, rebuilding the CC west stairs leading to Hemenway Hall, and modernizing freight and passenger elevators.
According to CC Board President Daezon Arruda, students were involved with providing direction to the project scope either through the leadership of the CC Board or through feedback received from students regarding the student union. Student employees were also involved in certain parts of the project, such as unboxing and installing 530 new ballroom chairs.
“I feel honored to see this phase of the project completed. Previous Campus Center Board members envisioned this project, and it is empowering to see the renovations that have been made,” Arruda said. “Campus Center is the pulse of the CC Complex where students come to use the facilities to study, relax and interact with the campus community. By prioritizing students within the space, we provide a community that encourages student leadership development, which is an important skill to have in one’s future career.”
Arruda added, “We also hope that students are impressed with the improvements that have been made so far with their student fees and will continue to use the spaces for their academic and extracurricular needs.”
The next phase of the CC Complex Renovation and Expansion Project will focus on Hemenway Hall—the original student union built more than 80 years ago. According to Arruda, it is in need of approximately $15 million dollars in renovations. A $5 million project will soon begin to upgrade infrastructure, including plumbing, restrooms and other general repairs.
Mānoa Dining Services update
During the February CC Ballroom tour, Mānoa Dining Services introduced its newest items, including to-go bentos, catering platters and a produce market package, which have been selling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mānoa Dining Services has come up with safe, low-touch options to comply with ongoing changes due to the pandemic, such as individually-wrapped utensils and boxed meals.
“We offer the same quality and service but have also needed to adapt and provide these COVID-friendly options for our clients and their events,” said John Lopiantetzky, Mānoa Dining Services retail operations director and catering manager.
This effort is an example of UH Mānoa’s goal of Enhancing Student Success (PDF), one of four goals identified in the 2015–25 Strategic Plan (PDF), updated in December 2020.
