By Michelle Lewis Aller
Liberty Square Apartments, a housing complex south of BYU campus, recently opened a new recreation center for tenants and guests to use.
“We just completed building a new clubhouse designed to be like the ‘cultural halls’ in LDS Church buildings,” said Jack Fuller Jr., managing owner of Liberty Square Apartments.
The new Liberty Square Center has a 45-foot wide, 75-foot long recreation court with a 500-person capacity.
“It’s really nice; it looks like a cultural hall. It’s all about volleyball … there are no basketball hoops,” said Eric Nelson, 23, a junior from Las Vegas, Nev., majoring in construction management.
So what will the center be used for?
A movie theater with a 12-foot projection screen, for starters.
“We found a way to sign a license agreement that lets us show current video releases, with us taking out the objectionable parts, just like the types of movies the Varsity Theatre used to show,” Fuller said.
The showings are free to tenants and guests. Liberty Square is restricted in what current movies are shown, the advertising and who attends.
“There can be no outside advertising. Only the tenants will know when a movie will be playing,” said Norman Nelson, general manager at Liberty Square.
Steve Rowley, 21, a sophomore majoring in business management from Mesa, Ariz., is a tenant at Liberty Square.
“If they edit R-rated movies, I’ll definitely go,” Rowley said.
Liberty Square houses over 800 tenants and covers eight LDS wards.
“The LDS wards and stakes at the complex will use it for activities, but we also decided to hire a full-time activities coordinator to work at nights doing complex-sponsored events,” Fuller said.
These events include dances, parties, sports, dinners and classes, Fuller said.
The previous clubhouse had water problems and Liberty Square decided to re-do the building, Norman Nelson said.
The reconstruction took a year to complete.
“It caused a lot of hassle. It’s a good thing, but it’s taken a year to build. As a result, we didn’t get a pool or a clubhouse; things we deserved as tenants,” said Melissa Phillips, 20, a junior from Zillah, Wash., majoring in English.
Phillips was a tenant last year and continued her contract with Liberty Square.
“Our apartment was constantly dirty from the construction. My computer was always covered with dust,” Phillips said.
Sarah Franco, 18, a freshman with an open major from Chicago, is a new tenant.
“I was worried about the construction. I’m glad it’s done,” Franco said.
The Liberty Square Center is open, but the management does not know when the movies will begin showing.
“We are still working out the editing. We don’t know when the movies will start yet,” Norman Nelson said.
Liberty Square is at 556 N. 400 East in Provo. For more information, call 801-374-7900.
