Painting and repairs brighten up Franklin lobby
December 9, 2013 •
There’s a lot of action in the Franklin lobby, and we’re not just talking about crafts fairs and holiday decorations.
On Oct. 16, an electrical fire in Eden Plaza Café damaged the lobby walls, and they needed to be repaired. So the grasscloth wallpaper was removed and the walls were resurfaced and painted. You’ve probably noticed a new color on those walls, a decision made in response to feedback about the need to brighten up the building.
“We’ve repeatedly heard comments from staff about the need to warm up the Franklin building to better align it with the university’s mission and create more of a sense of community at UC headquarters,” said Steve Murray, director of the Building and Administrative Service Center (BASC).
You may also have heard about the opening of a new gathering space as a result of the work in the café area: Franklin “Lobby 2” has been pulled into service as a temporary meeting room to fill an urgent need for the Efficiency Review brown bags and information sessions. While the room was approved for temporary use, it is not available for general use, Murray said, so you won’t find it on the list of bookable meeting rooms.
The Eden Café will not be ready to reopen following the holiday break, as previously announced. Instead it will probably open around March 1, 2014. In the meantime, café personnel will continue to operate the kiosk in the lobby.
Questions or comments? Feel free to email BASC Director Murray at Steve.Murray@ucop.edu.
