The following information is provided by the Miner Alumni Association:

Background: On Dec. 17, 2009, the Miner Alumni Association purchased two parcels of property for construction of a new facility to house the alumni association’s administrative offices and provide meeting and conference space for alumni returning to the community. The purchased properties are the old Uptown Theater (1100 Pine St.) and the law offices of Smith and Turley (1102 Pine St.). The two parcels will form the footprint of a new 8,000-square-foot, two-story Hasselmann Alumni House, a place where Missouri S&T, UMR and MSM alumni can call home. The Miner Alumni Association hopes the building will be completed by August 2012.

Why build on Pine Street? The Miner Alumni Association Alumni House Study Committee, consisting of past and current officers of the alumni association, considered 13 different properties in Rolla for construction of the new home. The decision to build on the site of 1100 and 1102 Pine St. was made after careful consideration of all 13 properties. Key reasons for choosing this location were:

• Close proximity to campus
• Close connection to downtown Rolla
• Availability of the two properties for purchase
• Existing parking lot in rear could continue to be used as such

Renovation is not an option. If the association attempted to retrofit this facility to their needs, the cost would be exorbitant. It is not a viable option, either financially or structurally. A structural engineer estimates that retrofits like this for buildings of this nature typically cost much more than construction of a new building.

The Alumni House will not house a performance venue. The Hasselmann Alumni House will not be available for use as a venue for the types of events that have been held at the Uptown in recent years. While performance venues are valuable assets to a city, that is not the mission of the Miner Alumni Association.

A place to call home. For more than a century, Rolla alumni have returned to campus to celebrate St. Pat’s, Homecoming, sporting events, award ceremonies and reunions. These events take place all across campus and all across Rolla. An independent Hasselmann Alumni House will be a place to call home – not only for alumni, but also for students and friends. This warm and welcoming building will showcase the accomplishments and memories of Rolla alumni and the history and traditions of this great university. It will not accommodate overnight guests.

A source of history and pride. The Hasselmann Alumni House will be a source of history and pride for all of us. It will be a place where returning alumni connect with one another as well as faculty and current students at alumni celebrations; dinner gatherings before sports events, concerts and lectures; and key student events such as receptions for freshman convocation and senior graduation or career networking workshops. The building will include dining and social areas, a media lounge, courtyards and gardens, an alumni library and archives, meeting rooms, and offices for the staff of the Miner Alumni Association.