Coming soon: Graduate community center

An artist's rendering shows an external view of the Graduate Community Center, scheduled to open in the Autumn Quarter. Construction on the project began last week after a two-month delay in getting the building permit from Santa Clara County. Chris Griffith, the associate dean of graduate student life, said university officials have been busy finalizing details on the 12,000-square-foot, two-story building that will be located on the east side of campus next to Studio 1. The center will house a large multipurpose meeting room and several smaller conference rooms, a snack bar and café, outdoor patios, a children's play area and a large pub for social activities and meetings. Initial proposals for the center emerged two years ago after discussions with graduate students.