The Rise of Troy: Grand opening celebration of massive USC Village Thursday, Aug. 17
Contact: Ron Mackovich at (213) 810-8583 or rmackovi@usc.edu
WHAT: Thousands of students, their families, faculty and members of the community will celebrate the opening of USC Village, a $700 million, 15-acre residential and retail complex that will house more than 2,500 students above a variety of dining and shopping options, including a Target and a Trader Joe’s.
USC Village is the largest development in the university’s history and one of the largest in the history of South Los Angeles.
WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 17, 11 a.m. Cameras must be in place by 10 a.m. Late arrivals may not be admitted.
WHERE: USC Village, Jefferson Boulevard and Hoover Street. NOTE: Jefferson will be closed between Hoover Street and McClintock Avenue the day of the event.
PARKING and RSVP: Space is limited. Call (213) 810-8583 or email rmackovi@usc.edu no later than 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug.16, to reserve a seat or a spot on the riser.
ASSETS: High-resolution photos, videos and fact sheets are available at http://bit.ly/USCVillage.
VISUALS: At 11 a.m., the Trojan Marching Band will lead a procession of thousands into USC Village’s Central Piazza, the new northern center of campus more than an acre in size.
At noon, USC President C. L. Max Nikias will unveil a towering bronze statue of Hecuba, Queen of Troy, accompanied by daytime fireworks.
At 8 p.m., Chicano Batman, Javon Johnson, Atsuko Okatsuka and Jessica Sele kick off the 12th season of Visions and Voices, a university-wide arts and humanities initiative.
ARCHITECTURAL INNOVATION
Six buildings were constructed in three years, employing more than 5,600 workers, many from the local community.
The sheer size of USC Village, with 1.25 million square feet of mixed-use space, is comparable to the recently completed 73-story Wilshire Grand Center in downtown Los Angeles.
USC developed and fully funded the project, which came in on time and under budget through the use of innovative technology to speed construction. The building facades were created offsite from more than 2,500 precast panels weighing 9,000 pounds.
A TROJAN TRADITION
USC Village is destined to become a new center of campus. Its Central Piazza is akin to the famous Hahn Plaza with the iconic Tommy Trojan statue.
The red bricks of USC Village honor the University Park Campus’s architectural traditions and are reflective of Bovard Auditorium, a cherished cultural monument built in 1921 at the center of campus.
A COMMUNITY ASSET
USC Village will offer 103,000 square feet of handpicked retail, including a number of Southern California-based restaurants and services, anchored by a Target and Trader Joe’s.
During a series of town halls for USC Village, community members specifically asked for Trader Joe’s to come to the neighborhood.
In addition to providing $20 million toward affordable housing and $20 million in street improvements, USC also saved and relocated iconic Fire Station 15 and built a new state-of-the-art fire station as part of the project.
The project supported more than 5,600 construction jobs and focused on community hires through a partnership with the city of Los Angeles and local unions.
USC Village features parking for more than 1,500 bikes and is a short distance from the Expo Line.
A NEW WAY OF LIVING AND LEARNING
Learning extends beyond the classroom for the more than 2,500 students who will live in one of eight residential colleges at USC Village.
USC Village seeks to transform the traditional notion of college life with a design that encourages interaction.
Eighty residential life lounges are outfitted to make study time a destination and encourage young minds to collaborate and create solutions.
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