The Big Bar & Grill, located near the corner of High Street and 12th Avenue, announced plans to add a rooftop patio to their current three floors of party space.

Plans have been drawn and rendered for the patio to be built over top of the existing roof of the building. With construction beginning at the end of March, owner Adam Breakiron said he plans on having the patio completed by late spring. Once completed, Breakiron said it will be the tallest and largest rooftop patio in the campus area.

Breakiron said the addition onto the bar was necessary to accommodate the large crowds they see on a weekly basis, specifically September through November, during college football season.

“We needed additional space for alumni and students to come, watch and cheer on their Buckeyes,” Breakiron said. “The rooftop patio will provide that additional area, while also allowing for a pleasant and enjoyable atmosphere.”

Breakiron said the University Area Commission recently approved the plans.

In order to accommodate the large masses of football fanatics, the rooftop patio will feature numerous flat-screen televisions. Big Bar staff plans on organizing separate entertainment on the roof from the inside, including DJs and acoustic performances.

“Once Independence Day rolls around, it will be the perfect spot to watch ‘Red, White and Boom,'” Breakiron said. “The downtown traffic won’t even be a factor in the night.”

When construction is completed, the rooftop patio will feature patio heaters and be partially covered, to allow access year round. Steve Browning, a manager at Big Bar, explained that the design of patio will be modern looking, citing a southern-California feel.

“You’re going to sit up there and think you are somewhere not in Columbus, Ohio,” Browning said.

Heather Jung, a second-year in nutrition, said she thinks the addition of the rooftop patio adds to Big Bar’s appeal, especially since it’s open to guests ages 18 and older.

“It sounds like a fun place for anyone to hang out on campus,” Jung said. “People enjoy being outside during the spring and summer months.”

Breakiron said he expects the patio to serve as a new area for smokers, opposed to the current set up, where smokers at Big Bar have to stand out on the back fire escape.

“It’s necessary to have a designated smoking area that is comfortable to use, especially after the smoking ban was put in place years ago,” Breakiron said.

Ed Mcgowan, a third-year in landscape horticulture, said he believes the rooftop patio will appeal to a wide variety of people looking to go out for a good time.

“Having separate entertainment is always cool,” Mcgowan said. “You get a change of scenery and music without having to walk down High Street, just by going up or downstairs.”