Nearly 10 months after the fire that closed the Tempe campus’s Memorial Union, the newly renovated upper floors officially opened Thursday morning with a grand reopening ceremony.

At the ceremony, ASU President Michael Crow called the renovation a tremendous project that involved cleaning the building and repairing damage from the Nov. 1 fire, and then renovating the upper levels of the MU.

“We’re very excited about the new facility, but we’re more excited about what it represents,” Crow said.

MU Director Kellie Lowe said the $53 million 95,000-square-foot renovation brings a collegiate focus to the building.

“Every decision we made was based on meeting the needs of our students and the ASU community,” Lowe said. “The newly remodeled MU will be an area on campus that our students can enjoy and be proud of.”

Political science junior Stephanie Schnirch said that before the fire she only went upstairs in the MU when she had to, but now she can go upstairs to escape the noise of the main floor.

“It’s funny how some things end up being a blessing,” she said.

At the ceremony, Arizona Board of Regents Vice President Ernest Calderon said the renovated MU will be the most vibrant part of the campus.

“We now have a Memorial Union suitable for the New American University,” he said.

Reach the reporter at adam.sneed@asu.edu