The University of Louisville Alumni Magazine: for alumni, faculty, staff, students and anyone that is a UofL Cardinal fan.
Issue link: https://louisville.epubxp.com/i/43017
on campus which is being used in conjunction with a new 1.75-mile, self-guided tree tour following identifying markers. Further enhancing the bucolic nature of the campus is the new Trager Plaza, which sits between Lutz Hall and Miller Information Technology Center. It features a granite infi nity pool, bench seating and a large bronze sculpture created by former art faculty member Barney Bright with help from his former student Ed Hamilton, now a nationally recognized sculptor. Titled "Truth and Justice," the artwork was a gift from Republic Bancorp Inc.'s chairman, Bernard Trager, and his wife, Jean, who also funded the plaza renovation. Aesthetic changes are also happening at Cardinal Towne, which has transformed the block bounded by Third and Fourth Streets along Cardinal Boulevard into a series of restaurants, apartments and refurbished brownstones. The privately developed complex at the north end of Belknap Campus includes one- to four-bedroom suites with private bathrooms in each bedroom, an underground parking garage, a swimming pool, hot tub and a rooftop patio. The appealing array of campus accommodations prompted sophomore Natasha Alvarez to choose UofL instead of colleges closer to her home in Flemington, N.J. Because of asthma and other medical conditions, she can't tolerate the mold typically found in older buildings. She said she enjoyed having a private room in Bettie Johnson Hall last year, but this semester selected a Cardinal Towne suite. "I thought, 'Why not move to the best of the best when you can?'" said Alvarez, diversity director of the Student Government Association, and president of Cards United for Disability Awareness. Observing the transformation of the property that once housed his family's restaurant and catering business, Andrew Masterson can't help but feel a sense of loss along with an appreciation of the changes. In the early '80s, when Masterson attended UofL, student athletes still ate at the long-time restaurant's training table three times a day, and most of his fraternity brothers did, too. "It was a good time. But as a university-loving person, I knew that the property was underutilized for the location," said Masterson, now co-owner of Masterson's Catering, which has since moved its operations east of downtown. "It's exciting to watch Located between Miller Infor- mation Technology Center and Lutz Hall, Trager Plaza features a granite infi nity pool, bench seating and large bronze sculp- ture. The new plaza was made possible by a generous gift from Bernard and Jean Trager. Completed in late spring, Freedom Park's new pergola and paving offer another welcoming gateway to Belknap Campus. The entrance faces Cardinal Blvd., adjacent to The Playhouse. The $38 million Student Recreation Center is scheduled to open in the fall of 2013 on the Fourth Street corridor. this university grow, to see the building of campus life. When I was there, as soon as your classes were over you were gone; there was no place to hang out on campus. It was almost spooky being there. Now, it's so full of life. I almost wish I was back there do- ing it all over again." Physical transforma- tion continues along the western border of the university's Fourth Street corridor, where UofL plans to open a $38 million student recreation