McKeldin Mall in display during the Maryland Day on Saturday, April 25.

McKeldin Mall will get a facelift starting next summer, University of Maryland officials said.

The mall, which has not undergone major renovations in more than 20 years, is starting to decline in its appearance, said William Olen, the university’s capital projects director. 

The first phase of construction — which is tentatively set to begin next summer — will renew and replace aging underground utilities on the mall, which includes putting in a new sanitary line, new storm-drainage lines and a new irrigation system, Olen said. The money allocated for the underground utilities will come from campus facility renewal funds, which the facilities council approved a couple of years ago, Olen said.

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“It’s our iconic feature on-campus, and we’re starting to see some degradation of the landscape,” Olen said. “The utilities need to be repaired and replaced before we do anything else.”

During the course of several summers, Olen said the mall would be renovated in additional phases to also upgrade aesthetic surface features such as the landscape and sidewalks, which will be allocated funding by the Facilities Council.

Last year, Facilities Management asked Student Government Association President Patrick Ronk to sit on a committee that will be responsible for overseeing the process and collaborating on design plans for the mall’s renovation.

“Walking around McKeldin, there are a lot of improvements to be made,” Ronk said. “McKeldin is the most beautiful part of our campus, and I think we should make sure it stays that way.”

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Ronk said the SGA has worked a long time to enhance the mall’s appearance, and he hopes improvements such as better lighting and smooth sidewalks will allow students to better enjoy the mall.

“The committee is going to make sure all the campus constituents are being heard,” Olen said. “Whether it’s students, faculty or staff, they will help guide the design and make sure the necessary input is received and given from the campus constituents.”