RICHLAND, Wash. - An outdoor stage for campus and community events has opened at Washington State University Tri-Cities.

 

The Columbia Center Rotary Stage is on the grassy area between the West Building and the Consolidated Information Center, with the Columbia River as a backdrop.

 

"This stage marks a new chapter in campus life for WSU Tri-Cities,” Chancellor Vicky Carwein told the crowd of 50 who gathered for the ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday.

"It soon will be a hub for activities for our students and the community,” she said. "It already has been reserved by the Tri-Cities Academy of Ballet for a dance recital in June.”
 
A unique partnership provided financing for the $140,000 project. Stage construction and equipment were financed by:

• Columbia Center Rotary Club Charity Board, $80,000
• City of Richland, $40,000 from the Hotel/Motel Lodging Tax Fund
• Students of WSU Tri-Cities, $20,000 from the Service & Activities Facilities Fees

 
"It’s a really nice project for Columbia Center Rotary Charity. This is the first one that we’ve done,” said Mike Rader, president of the charity board.

 

"When it was first brought to us, it was something that we felt really would benefit the community as a whole - as well as the students on the campus,” he said. "Then getting the support of the City of Richland and the students themselves was a combination that made it work really well.”

 
"The city of Richland is very proud to be a partner, together with Rotary and the students of WSU Tri-Cities,” Mayor John Fox said. "The students particularly are a great asset to our city.

 

"The presence of higher education in our community is a key to the future prosperity and culture of our Tri-City area,” he said. "We are very happy to be a partner in this and we will continue to support WSU Tri-Cities in every way we can.”

 

Amber Eubanks, president of the Associated Students of WSU Tri-Cities, noted that the all-campus barbecue that would have celebrated the new stage had to be moved inside because of unseasonable weather.

"I cannot emphasize enough how much we appreciate the partnership with the community,” she said. "Thank you for continuing to work with the students at WSU Tri-Cities. You’re making a huge impact on our student life.”

 

WSU Pullman students in architecture and engineering classes last year recommended the site for the stage as part of a semester project. The stage is situated so the long side faces an open grassy area and can be used for large events, while the short side faces an existing patio and can be used for small events.

 

Either way, the Columbia River is in the background and the stage is flanked by existing outdoor art installations.

 

The covered stage is approximately 40 feet wide by 30 feet deep — with about 1,200 square feet of floor area — and is about 14 feet high. The floor is concrete, the support columns are steel, the roof framing is made of glue-laminated wood beams and the roof deck is steel. The stage contractor was Winkler Construction and the architect was ALSC, both of Spokane.

The Columbia Center Rotary Stage is available for reservation by community groups:

WSU Tri-Cities was established in 1989 with upper division and graduate programs, expanding in 2007 to a four-year undergraduate campus offering 18 bachelor’s, 10 master’s and six doctoral degrees. Learn about the most diverse campus in the WSU system here.