After years in the basement of Marvin Center, EMeRG, the student-run emergency medical service will likely move its headquarters to the building formerly occupied by DJ’s Fastbreak.
DJ’s Fastbreak left its venue on 22nd and G streets last spring after the restaurant’s lease with the University expired. Executive Vice President and Treasurer Lou Katz said EMeRG would likely move to the top floor of the building.
He added that the bottom floor will become student space, though the University has not yet reached a final conclusion on the matter. The University should complete the changes by the end of the academic year, he said.
Marc Berenson, the EMeRG coordinator for the University Police Department, said a new building will improve employee morale.
Last winter, a flood in the Marvin Center forced EMeRG to temporarily relocate to Crawford Hall. The group sustained damage to computer, medical and communication equipment.
Due to the extensive flooding, EMeRG did not move into Marvin Center until August. At one point, the organization moved its headquarters to a closet in City Hall.
“After the flood, morale tanked,” Berenson said. “The greater space allows more people to be present, which improves camaraderie.”
He added the new, larger space will be helpful because several students sleep at the headquarters during the organization’s night shifts.
EMeRG plans to move in as soon as all the plans are finalized. It took 15 people six hours to move the equipment this summer, Berenson said.
“The other thing too is that EMeRG is just going to keep growing,” Berenson said. “We have plans to start Mount Vernon Campus coverage. We’ll be looking to expand (to more ambulances) in the future as well.”
Tracy Schario, a University spokesperson, said changing the building from restaurant to student space will not require city approval. She added the downstairs space will likely serve as a “gathering place” for students.
The building is slated to be demolished in the University’s Campus Plan, but Schario said it could remain standing for another 20 years.
“There are so many benefits from this new space,” Berenson said. “And as everyone in EMeRG will tell you, the prospect of windows is very nice.”
