Tulane University is continuing construction for its new Commons slated to open July 2019. The Commons, which is now 40 percent complete, will provide a larger and more “collaborative space” for the Tulane Community, according to President Michael Fitts.

Located across from Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, the new facility will be connected to the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life by a second-floor walkway. The 77,000 square-feet, three-story building will host the new dining hall and multipurpose meeting spaces, and will be the new home of the Newcomb College Institute.

Following the “Only the Audacious” fundraiser that was announced in December 2017, Fitts said the new facility reiterates exactly what the campaign stands for. The initiative helps fund the new building, which costs $55 million to build.

“The primary goals of the ‘Only the Audacious’ fundraising campaign are to bolster Tulane’s pioneering research and transformative teaching mission while increasing opportunity and diversity and building an environment to support excellence,” Fitts said. “The Commons also will support the campaign goal to build an environment to support excellence by providing spaces for meeting, instruction and cross-disciplinary collaborations in the heart of the uptown campus.”

The new building will replace Bruff Commons, which will be torn down to make room for more housing on campus. Consequently, other services in Bruff will be moved to a new location. Though it is still unclear where the marketplace will be located, the mailroom will not be in the Commons.

The Class of 2022 brought in one of the largest waves of incoming freshmen Tulane has seen, with almost 1,900 students. Therefore, many students are looking forward to the new additions to campus and are glad the university is adapting to its expanding community.

“I think it will be convenient that all of the food will be located in one singular location,” sophomore Janie Qiu said. “It’s great that Tulane is accomodating the needs of its increasing population.”