The Cove, the hub of student life at the University of New Orleans for decades, will reopen for the first time since Hurricane Katrina at a ceremony on Friday, December 2. Governor Bobby Jindal, Sen. Mary Landrieu, University of Louisiana System President Randy Moffett and UNO Interim Chancellor Joe King will speak at the ribbon cutting, which will begin at 2:30 p.m. Special musical performances will be given by professor emeritus Ellis Marsalis and UNO jazz faculty members Victor Atkins, Steve Masakowski, Irvin Mayfield, Ed Petersen, Brent Rose and Brian Seeger.
The Cove was originally built in 1973 as a “food and recreation center” and quickly became the center of UNO campus life. In 1990, UNO jazz studies director Ellis Marsalis turned The Cove into a living laboratory where UNO students performed with national and international jazz artists. Jazz at the Sandbar grew to become part of UNO’s academic and cultural fabric. UNO is proud to announce the return of one of its greatest treasures which has been shuttered since Hurricane Katrina.
The $4.7 million, 16,400 square-foot facility will offer a food court, indoor and outdoor seating, and a bar and state-of-the-art music venue at the famed Sandbar. The project was funded by a combination of federal, state and private money, including donations from UNO alumni and the student government.