The UA Mall is gaining a new feature to its look.

The University of Arizona Department of Facilities Management is building a permanent stage at the west end of the UA Mall, in front of the UA Associated Students Bookstore.

Albert Tarcola, director of facilities management, said the permanent stage was built after Facilities Management recognized it was losing money every time a stage had to be set up.

The wear and tear of unloading and loading the equipment, as well as its storage, made upkeep expensive, Tarcola said.

"We kept buying equipment at $3,000 to $4,000 a year," Tarcola said. "This is financially a good thing."

The cost of the permanent stage will be between $10,000 and $12,000, Tarcola said. He said Facilities Management found additional funds to do the project this year.

Tarcola said the stage is to be completed before school starts in the fall.

"I think it's a good idea because they always had to set up a stage," said Ricia Weiner, a 1996 UA graduate who was on the Mall yesterday.

Plywood and tables had been used as staging equipment in past years, Tarcola said. He said Facilities Management started looking into building a stage this year to reduce its costs and for safety. He said the permanent stage would eliminate those problems .

Tarcola said Facilities Management should see the payoff of the permanent stage in three years or sooner. He said it should also keep users' costs down.

"It will reduce people's costs," Tarcola said. "Customers don't have to pay for setup. It's a nice thing for users."

Todd Stark, coordinator for campus activities with the Department of Student Programs, said the stage should make things easier.

"It (the stage) is good all the way around," Stark said. "It will make it a little easier to do bands, if available."

Stark said if the stage is user friendly, it may be hard to schedule an event there.

Bob Probel, assistant director of Facilities Management, said the stage dimensions will be 32 feet by 22 feet. He said the stage will also have a 20-foot by 30-foot tent that can be used to block the sun or the rain.

A flower garden will be placed in front of the stage, but not will not obstruct the view, Tarcola said.

Tarcola said use of the stage has already been requested for Family Weekend.