While many students went to faraway places for summer internships or others simply went home, those who stayed in Athens saw many changes. For those who left and are just now returning, there might be a need to get caught up on the happenings in Athens’ sleepy summertime.

Tate II

The long-awaited Tate Student Center expansion opened to the public June 1 and housed its first batch of incoming freshmen for orientation days later. The 14-month-long construction came to an end and the unveiling of a $60 million project commenced.

Willie Banks, director of Campus Life and the Tate Student Center, told The Red & Black he believed Tate II would be “one of the best student centers, and a phenomenal space for our students.”

An official opening for the expansion will take place at an Aug. 20 ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Parking decks

The Board of Regents approved ground lease agreements in April for two new parking decks on campus – one at the Intramural Fields and one at the Performing Arts Center. Construction began soon thereafter and the decks are scheduled to open for the fall semester.

On June 29 an Atlanta parking deck collapsed, prompting the University to search for two engineering firms to analyze the structural integrity of the 10 decks on campus. Hardin Construction Company, the general contractor of the collapsed Centergy parking deck in midtown Atlanta, is also the contractor for the University’s two new decks.

Hardin President Bill Pinto told The Red & Black his company will foot the bill for an independent firm “to look at those under-construction decks and to allay any concerns that might exist.”

The analysis of the decks will take place before classes begin in the fall.

Greek houses

Aug. 1 marks the beginning of a new era for several fraternities at the University as they say “goodbye” to their former residences and “hello” to Greek Park.

The new area, located on River Road, will house Tau Epsilon Phi, Phi Delta Theta, Pi Kappa Alpha and Sigma Nu. The University owns the new houses and will lease them to each fraternity housing corporation. Each fraternity signed a 30-year lease for the properties.

Construction began last fall after nearly a decade of negotiations. The four fraternities were relocated from their Lumpkin Street addresses to make way for new academic buildings.

Georgia Theatre

The June 19 fire at the Georgia Theatre was heart wrenching for many lovers of the Athens music scene. The fire broke out shortly after 7 a.m. that Friday morning and continued to burn for several hours.

More than 50 firefighters worked to extinguish the flames. And a week later investigators still were not sure what caused the fire to break out.

Special Agent Dondi Albritton of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives’ National Response team said every investigative lead had been exhausted.

“Based upon our determination at this point and time, the only call we can make is undetermined,” he said on June 26.

But from the ashes of the gutted music venue comes a sense of hope and a willingness to rebuild. There have been several benefit concerts for the rebuilding of the theater, as well as to help the staff of the theater.