A List
9/15/08

With Gift From Alumni Couple, SLU Renovating Space For Campus Pub

CANTON - St. Lawrence University plans to renovate space on campus for a new "pub," for student social gatherings. Trustee Joe '63 and Joan Langlois Richardson '57, of Slingerlands, N.Y., have pledged $400,000 to fully fund the renovations to the space between Hulett and Jencks residence halls.

An informal space that will serve beer and wine to those of legal drinking age, and be a safe, comfortable and casual destination for all students, the new pub will be created from existing space in Phase I of a two-phase project. The connector building between Hulett and Jencks was selected by a committee of students, faculty, staff and trustees as the best site. Renovations began in the summer and the pub will open in the spring of 2009.

"I believe there should be a place on campus where students of legal age can have a beer in a responsible setting," Joe Richardson said. "When the drinking age was 18, we learned how to navigate the social scene with adults who could help us and be role models for responsible behavior. Today's college students lack that opportunity. A campus pub will be one step in the direction of an improved social atmosphere where learning can happen."

The campus pub is Phase 1; a second phase calls for the construction of an addition to the pub that can be used for large parties, at an estimated cost of $600,000. The construction project is entirely dependent on gift funding.

Joe Richardson retired in 2005 as senior vice president of Citizens Bank in Albany, and since 2006 has been director of business development for Berkshire Bank. The Richardsons also provided one of the first major gifts toward construction of the Student Center, established the Joe and Joan Richardson Family Scholarship and have pledged $1.5 million to the Momentum St. Lawrence campaign.

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