The idea of placing a tanning salon on campus came to 23-year-old Gary Lauber about three months ago. By next week, his dream will be a reality.

A tanning salon will open at the lower level of Marchetti Towers sometime next week, according to Clayton Berry of Public Relations.

Berry said the space is leased out for revenue for the University. “In the past, the space has been a hair salon and even a convenience store,” Berry said. “We just look for what students want to see.”

Lauber, a third-year law student, worked at a tanning salon and noticed that many of the patrons were college students.

As a former resident of Marchetti Towers, Lauber knew about the available lease space. Construction for the sight began only one month ago.

Though no longer a campus resident, Lauber is currently attending SLU’s law school and has begun his sixth year at the University.

Although the salon is open to all patrons, its main target is SLU students.

“Our first priority is the students,” Lauber said. “I want to provide them the convenience of an on-campus, first-class tanning facility.”

The area will service eight tanning beds with the option of expanding.

“Depending on how profitable we are in the first few months, we can expand to service even more beds,” Lauber said.

The space has recently undergone electrical and interior upgrades, including lighting and a new ceiling to service a tanning salon, according to Mike G’Sell, director of general maintenance.

The space was not considered for housing.

“As a lease property, it’s generally not used for housing; we use it for commercial purposes,” G’Sell said.

Julie Ferris, a sophomore, said that a tanning salon is a fun idea for the campus. “I’ll have to check it out when my summer tan begins fading,” Ferris said.

Junior Joe Michael doesn’t plan on using the facility himself but thinks that it serves a useful purpose.

“I don’t go tanning because it’s bad for the skin, but I think that it’s convenient for students who often tan,” Michael said.

Lauber said he will post fliers to promote the opening date along with special student pricing next week.