UNT’s College of Merchandising, Hospitality, and Tourism is Overhauling Denton Square

The top-ranked University of North Texas College of Merchandising, Hospitality, and Tourism (CMHT) is beginning renovations on a new multi-use event space located at the Denton town square.

The CoLaboratory at UNT on the Square hopes to be a community space for everything from chef demonstrations to student art exhibits to a shoppable selection of UNT-inspired gifts once its renovations are complete.

Kristen Kendrick Bigley, an artist and retail industry veteran, was hired as the CoLaboratory’s director last month to help reimagine the Denton Square space.

“I am thrilled to be joining UNT and to be guiding this new venture,” said Bigley in a statement. “I look forward to collaborating with businesses and our Denton community. My vision for this space is to be ambassadors for the university in the community and to give people visibility into what’s happening on campus in a way they didn’t have before.”

Serving as a learning laboratory, The CoLaboratory hopes to curate an environment for UNT students to bring their education into the Denton community, according to a statement. UNT students will be able to get real-life experiences in retail and event planning by participating in the CoLaboratory.

“We want to give our students an interactive space to learn and create as well as offer more ways for the community to engage with us,” Jana Hawley, CMHT’s dean, said in a statement.

The CoLaboratory is currently operating on a modified schedule, but its regular hours are expected to be announced soon.