NMU plans to build a welcome center

MARQUETTE — Northern Michigan University is in the beginning stages of adding a new building to its campus.

Thanks to a gift from Dr. John Beaumier, the school will construct a welcome center. The new building will be designed to make it easier for people to find out information about the school and find their way around campus.

At the university’s NMU President Dr. Fritz Erickson called the future welcome center “An excellent edition to our campus.”

“Our plan is this summer to really do the design work that’s need with that to really get that in place and hopefully begin the construction process,” Erickson added. “If we can get to it in the fall, that’s doable, we will. More than likely, we’re talking about next summer (2016), by time you get the approvals and everything that goes into actually constructing it.”

There are no definite plans on where the new welcome center will be constructed just yet. The welcome center will also serve as the new home for the Beaumier Upper Peninsula Heritage Center, which is currently located at 105 Cohodas.

The U.P. Heritage Center is a museum that preserves the history and culture of the U.P.