After ongoing renovations, the Pride Center will be moving back to its old home on the southeast edge of campus once construction ends in the spring.

For newer students at Oregon State University, the Pride Center has always resided in the heart of campus. However, the Student Experience Center is a temporary location while the original Pride Center undergoes lengthy renovations at 1553 SW A Ave. The project’s substantial completion date was pushed back from November to March.

According to Director of Operations Eric Beeler, the crew encountered typical construction delays related to winter weather and issues with the century-old house. Beeler says the $3,265,000 project is going smoothly overall and is on-track to be substantially completed by late March.

“The interior will be mostly finished while they work on completing the exterior improvements as we race towards the finish line,” Beeler said.

Cindy Konrad, Pride Center director, said the new center is expected to open for students in mid-April. It will be nearly double its original size, increasing ability to host events and activities.

The renovation will add accessibility features like updated ramps, larger hallways and doorways and updated safety systems. Students can also look forward to a full kitchen, two all-user restrooms, new furniture, a washing machine and a dryer.

“We have had students involved in every stage of the process,” Konrad said.

From surveys and focus groups to student interns and interior designers, OSU students have left their mark on the new Pride Center.

According to Vee Escobar, communications representative for the Pride Center and SOL LGBTQ+ Multicultural Support Network, the new center will have both communal spaces and separate rooms. Compared to the current SEC space, it will be “more of an intimate setting,” Escobar said.

Amid excitement for the new center, some students are concerned about the location change. Escobar said she will miss the convenient access and proximity to other cultural organizations, like the Ettihad Cultural Center and Diversity and Cultural Engagement.

“We are the busiest cultural center on campus when it comes to student foot traffic,” Escobar said.

The Pride Center hopes to maintain this foot traffic after moving from the SEC to the new private building. Alongside these challenges, the new center may offer greater comfort to certain students.

“The building also is a bit more private than the SEC,” Konrad said. “Some students who are not fully out about their LGBTQ+ identity have been hesitant to come to the SEC location because it is so visible.”

Overall, there are positive attitudes surrounding the renovated Pride Center. Escobar described additional involvement opportunities at the center, such as a community garden and local art displays.

“We’ll have an opening ceremony as well,” Escobar said, “so students definitely have to look out for that.”

According to Konrad, the interior will be filled with natural lighting and accents of teal, orange, gold and spring green. Upon entering, visitors will find a living room, library spaces and a gathering hall and dining room, complete with a fireplace and plenty of comfortable seating. The back of the building will host the kitchen, the center director’s office and a small quiet room for private meetings and activities.

“Students have been talking about expanding and updating the building since they moved into the space in 2004. There were even plans drawn up at that time for a future renovation,” Konrad said. “We’ve updated the plans since then, but it was so powerful to see 20 years of students’ dreams becoming reality.”