Phoenix to rise from Gallagher's ashes

Nicholas Valenzuela Arizona Daily Wildcat Director of Student Union, Daniel Adams (left) shows Senator Dave Snyder and other ASUA senators the model of the new Student Union yesterday in the Memorial Student Union. Adams showed the layout for the new Student Union and answered questions pertaining to the project, scheduled to start construction in August.

UA Student Union Director Dan Adams told ASUA last night a "multi-purpose" room planned for the new 377,000 square foot Memorial Student Union could double as a movie house. The room will hold 350 people - a reduction of 250 seats.

"We always hoped Gallagher could be more than it is," Adams said. "We've improved upon the Gallagher Theatre. The basic concept of what's happening at Gallagher stays, it's just the physical facility that changes."

The Gallagher Theatre will be razed as early as July, during the first phase of construction, he said.

The union renovations could take up to 33 months from start to finish, but there are tentative plans to provide a theater during the interim, Adams said.

Associated Students President Tara Taylor and Senator Janet Rico were involved in planning the new Union. Taylor said she and Rico voiced their concerns about what to do with the multi-purpose room.

"The whole ambiance (of Gallagher) is what makes it attractive," Taylor said.

She added that because of students' attachment to the eclectic movie house, ASUA may fight to have a new Gallagher Theatre built instead of a multi-purpose room. Taylor added she was unsure of the outcome of such a campaign.

"We know what the students strongly believe," she said. "Whether or not that will happen - that's a whole different story."

But, Adams said the multi-purpose room will function in many of the same ways as Gallagher.

"It's not a lost program at all," he said.

But, the frequency of movie showings may change.

"Whether we go two nights or seven nights - that's up to the (Gallagher's) programming staff," Adams said. "It comes down to how much money they have for films."

Planners would like to keep on showing movies seven nights a week, he added. The old theater suffered from structural problems and poor lighting that made using the space difficult for anything besides showing movies, Adams said.

The new union's plans include lighting improvements to make the room suitable for other purposes, like a providing a forum for lectures.

"If you put down everything you like about the Gallagher, it'll be in there," Adams said, adding that Gallagher is "almost a part of student culture."

Bill Fannin, the Gallagher's manager, said he remained hopeful for the theater's future.

"I like the new building a lot," Fannin said. "I think it has great possibilities. I just have hope that we'll end up with a state-of-the-art performance space."