EMILY REID/Arizona Daily Wildcat Astronomy freshman Jimmy Buckman walks yesterday afternoon past the empty pad that used to house the Union Bank of Arizona inside the Student Union Memorial Center. The bank vacated the space over the summer and, so far, no other business has stepped forward to rent the area.

Union still negotiating with bank, hair salons to rent empty spaces

New retail tenants for the recently vacated Union Bank and Fantastic Sams locations in the Student Union Memorial Center could be coming soon despite a previous warnings that a bank trying to start up in the union at this point in the academic year could be dead in the water.

Managers of Arizona Student Unions are talking to a "particular bank," about Union Bank's former space and with a number of different hair salons, to see who wants the spaces, said Dan Adams, Director of Arizona Student Unions.

"We are dealing with a couple of different possibilities. We are in negotiation," Adams said.

The union's Web site touts, "Coming soon: New Banking Partner!"

Last week, the Info Desk moved out of its temporary space, where the Union Bank was located, and into its permanent locale in the recently opened space near FastCopy and the U.S. Post Office.

Union Bank and Fantastic Sams were two of only four original non-restaurant retailers in the Union that were not part of or affiliated with the UA, as All-Aboard or CatCard are.

Union Bank closed in late May and Fantastic Sams in July.

Even though they are closer to finding a new bank, it would probably open next semester. The new hair salon, however, would likely come this semester because Sams left the space ready to occupy, Adams said.

Opening the hair salon and/or the bank late in the semester or next semester could have a negative impact on the retailers' business.

When Sams closed, Adams blamed their late opening for the business' failure.

Sams was originally scheduled to open September 2001, but the opening was pushed back to December because of what Dan Adams dubbed "business operation things," and the delay could have been part of the reason for the business' closing, as Dan Adams felt students had already found their banking and hair cutting services by then.

Dan Adams doesn't necessarily think the next new bank or hair salon would fail if opened after the window of opportunity though.

"Clearly to start a new business in the fall semester would be more beneficial, but (the prime time to open new businesses) is mainly as students start to form their traffic patterns," Dan Adams said.

Should the new retailers not be ready soon, some feel a new hair salon and bank should certainly still be sought.

"Yeah, I do think there is a window of opportunity. If you look at the student union during the first two weeks, it is filled with people," said Theresa Adams, a marketing junior, who also thinks they should put a shoe store in the union. "I think if they can they should stick to it and I think they shouldn't just think of this year."

Political science sophomore Allison Dugaw agrees that if replacements are not operating early this year, union officials should keep their plans.

"I don't necessarily think they should change their plans, I think the hair salon and bank would work," Dugaw said.

Gallagher Theater, in the Student Union Memorial Center near the food court, may not open until the second semester. The theater has to be furnished with seats and a projector, said Dan Adams.

The new additions to the food court, Chick-fil-A and a student union-run "steak grill," featuring Philly cheese steaks will open during the spring semester at the latest.

Additionally, Arizona Student Unions is hoping to get the rest of the space for Cafe Sonora, the rest of the Kachina Room on the third level (second from the ground level) and the Kiva ÷ formerly the site of FastCopy ÷ all opened this semester, Dan Adams said.

"They are doing very well with the progress of the construction," Dan Adams said. "I see no reason to believe it won't be done by December."

Once the Student Union Memorial Center is completed, scheduled for Dec. 15, a couple more retail spaces will be available ÷ one of which will be a CD store.

The other will likely be a test service, which prepares students to take tests, Dan Adams said.

The decision of what to do with the space next to the All-Aboard office, which was the location of the U-Mart last year, has not been made. Dan Adams said they may lease the space temporarily to organizations, for example once a week it might be a flower shop or a jeweler.