The new Green Lane building makes its entrance

By Annalise Knudson

The bookstore’s new Cougar Cafe 

 

With it’s green glass, brick, and stone, the new Green Lane building is hard to miss when passing by Kean University. Whether the visit is for classes, a snack on the go, buying textbooks, or just to check out the latest Kean merchandise, this new building has everything a student could want and need.

The brand new Green Lane building at Kean University is located on the west side of campus at the intersection of Morris Ave and Green Lane. The building opened to students and professors on Jan. 21, 2014.

This fall semester, students are now able to visit the brand-new Barnes & Noble bookstore, moved from the University Center, along with the Cougar Café for students to purchase food and Starbucks.

The building is a 102,275 square-foot-structure designed by Gruskin Group. With its six floors, it includes a rooftop garden and an outside bleacher seating area.

The cost of the building was not disclosed with the public, but was financed through bonds which are “debt instruments issued by governments and other entities to raise money to finance projects.”

The building is now home to the new Robert Busch School of Design. The Robert Busch School of Design offers programs and professional studies to prepare students with entry-level knowledge in studio-based programs.

The school offers three degree programs: B.F.A in Graphic Design, B.F.A in Interior Design, and B.I.D in Industrial Design. In the 2013 fall semester, the school had a total of 432 students enrolled, according to the Fact Book from the Office of Institutional Research.

Yasmin Martinez, a sophomore at Kean University, visited the Green Lane building the first time this semester for one of her classes. Martinez prefers the Green Lane building because the classrooms are much larger in addition to a comfortable environment. The only disadvantage she felt about the building was the location of the bookstore.

“The UC bookstore was a bit more convenient because it was in the middle of campus,” Martinez said. “On the other hand, the overall look of the new bookstore is amazing, although, there was an extremely long line and some of the cashiers were limited to only accept card payments.”

Students are able to park their cars in the Green Lane parking lot, as well as find other parking near Kean Hall. Trolleys are also available to pick up and drop off students on Green Lane at the trolley stop in Kean Hall, directly across the street from the building.

Sophomore Raymond Cruz prefers the new Green Lane bookstore instead of the University Center (UC) bookstore because of its larger size. However, Cruz still enjoys his food on the main campus.

“I would rather eat at the Cougar’s Den or the University Center cafeteria mainly because of my class locations,” Cruz said.

Not only does the Barnes & Noble bookstore include the textbooks and merchandise that was in the UC bookstore, but also sells a larger selection of books to choose from that you would usually find at an off-campus Barnes & Noble.

With the newly decorated, refurbished and updated assets of the new Barnes & Noble bookstore for Kean University, it is definitely worth the walk, trolley ride or drive.

Along with its new technology, and bigger, comfortable classrooms for students and teachers, the Green Lane building proves to be a beneficial addition to the Kean University community.

 

 

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