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'Operational' Satellite launches full service

By Andrew Fritsch
The Daily Cougar

After a year-and-a-half and two false starts, the UC Satellite opened at 11 a.m. Friday with Chartwells providing free food until 1 p.m.

"We're fully up and operational," said Keith Kowalka, interim director of the University Center and associated facilities.

Though the Satellite is ready to serve students, minor touch ups are still needed to complete the building's interior refurbishing process, said Gary Logsdon, architect with PDG Architects. The remaining repairs include tightening door handles, installing phones and e-mail stations and hanging signs that haven't arrived yet, like the illuminated cougar paw that will be located near the front entrance.

Externally, the patio area still isn't complete. Awnings, canopies and lighting need to be added, but the slab has been ready since it was poured Friday night, Logsdon said. It should be finished at the end of this month or in early February, said David Vorhaben, architect with PDG Architects.

"This is practically a new building except for the structure (shell)," Vorhaben said.

The Satellite has new air conditioning, plumbing and fire systems along with a design based on a plane and shape concept, Logsdon said.

"The point was to open up the building and lift it up," Logsdon said.

An example of the plane and shape design is easily seen in the Games Room. The back wall is a plane that runs through the room and the Convenience Store. A shape, which is the desk in the Games Room, intersects the plane.

The most noticeable design change is the curved front wall; it houses an information board, two televisions and a ticker. Behind that wall are the TV lounges, which feature comfy chairs, couches and large screens.

Logsdon said most of the walls, pillars and structures in the building were designed to alleviate congestion and make navigating the Satellite easier.

"There's no lines in here, and we're giving away free food," Nick Iula, Chartwells campus director, said. "It was well-designed."

Iula said about 700 to 800 people came to Friday's opening, but only 300 were expected. The food service seemed to hold up well on the trial run, even with the extra customers.

The food services available in the Satellite include Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Tejanitas Taqueria, Chic-Fil-A, Chars, which offers open-flame-grilled burgers, and a Starbucks.

"I've been tasting the food all week long, and it's good, but I'm stuffed," Iula said.

Though the opening was successful, Iula said, "It was really touch and go this week for (Friday's) opening, but everyone pulled together, and now we have a great facility."

That seemed to be the consensus Friday.

"I think it's nice, and it's a lot better than it was before," Kelli Douglas, a junior communication major, said. "And, for some reason, the Chic-Fil-A tastes better here than in the UC. I know I'll be coming here for lunch."

Senior biology major Angie Ton said the Satellite was much nicer, and the free food was a nice touch.

Flooding is still a possibility in the nice, new Satellite, but precautions have been taken to avoid another disaster.

The floor is stained concrete, which won't get ruined like carpet. Also, major flooding occurred on the back stairs, so sub pumps that tie into the main drainage system were installed, and the patio pumps were repaired as well, Vorhaben said. The front windowsills were raised to eight inches, he said. Logsdon said most of the project delays were due to funding discrepancies. Often, funds would not become available when UH officials thought it would be, he said.

"By law, the University cannot spend money it doesn't have," Logsdon said.

"If we had gone down the road too quickly, we wouldn't have gotten something like this," Logsdon said. "I think it was worth waiting for."
 

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