Mason Faculty/Staff Lounge relocates for remodeling

The faculty and staff lounge on the Fairfax Campus will relocate to a temporary home on Monday, June 6.

The lounge will be in the Johnson Center, Room 118, through June 15, said Stephen Morehouse, director of construction and renovation in Mason’s Auxiliary Enterprises, Student Centers . Room 118 is a large, glass-walled location on the main floor of the center, just opposite the food court.

The lounge opened this spring in the former Bistro location on the lowest level of the center.

Renovations will include the construction of a floor-to-ceiling wall separating the kitchen/server area from the event space.

Plans are in the works for a food venue to be installed on the side of the wall opposite of the event space, Morehouse said. When that is completed later this fall, the event space will function independently of the food service space.

George Mason employees had requested their own lounge for some time; several offices and agencies on campus worked together on the project and the lounge opened on Feb. 3.

The lounge doesn’t yet have an official name, but a special committee formed for the task is expected to decide on and announce a name later in the summer, said Janet Walker, life/work connections manager for Mason.

The lounge still serves as a programmable space for university events, so Mason Student Centers, Mason Dining and University Events will work together to coordinate lounge hours and locations with any events scheduled for the space.

An end-of-fiscal-year party that was planned for June 30 in the renovated space is being rescheduled. A new date will be announced soon. The party celebrates the accomplishments of employees and their families over the last year. Dessert and beverages will be provided, as well as prizes, while supplies last, said Walker.