Carnegie Mellon looks to create new commons area

Carnegie Mellon University is looking to create a new commons space on its Oakland campus.

In a presentation Tuesday to the city’s Planning Commission, officials said the proposed Margaret Morrison Street Neighborhood Commons would be built under the existing Hamerschlag House dormitory. People would be able to access it through a courtyard between Boss and McGill houses, a ramped pathway in front of Scobell House or from Skibo Drive.

The 6,000-square-foot commons would include an indoor/outdoor fireplace, a wellness room and a multipurpose room, said Bob Reppe, a university vice president and architect. The commons also would include study areas, a multimedia room where students could watch movies and outdoor patio space.

Officials did not say when the proposed project, if approved, might be completed or how much it might cost. The Planning Commission is expected to vote on the proposal at its next meeting in two weeks.

Reppe said the university has a similar commons space on campus already and is hoping to add a few more.

“You don’t have to be a resident of a building to use the commons,” Reppe said. “These commons are intended to anybody on campus.”