| Watterson food court to begin renovation process |
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| Written by Amanda Curry, Daily Vidette Staff Writer |
| Tuesday, 28 April 2009 00:00 |
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This summer Watterson Food Court will begin a six-phase renovation process. The renovation will redesign the look, layout and selection of the dining center. The food court will remain open throughout the process. The end product will be much different than the food court Watterson residents experience now. "Instead of a centralized food court area with separate seating, the food venues and seating areas will be intermixed. Sort of like small neighborhoods, each with its own unique character, colors and furnishings," Tracy Widergren, marketing coordinator of Campus Dining Services, said. The "flow" of the dining center will also be adjusted because of these renovations. "In its current layout, during peak hours, the food court area can become quite packed. By spreading venues out and increasing their size, we will be able to better accommodate students and guests and not run into the 'traffic jam' we sometimes experience now," she said. In addition, the renovated food court will allow Watterson to become more environmentally friendly, just as the other dining room is scheduled to open for the spring 2010 semester, allowing us to use permanent dishes and eliminate paper products and trays, which has obvious positive environmental effects," Widergren said. "Linkins [Dining Center] saved over 58,000 gallons in one school year alone by not washing trays." The first phase, beginning this summer, includes renovating the north seating area to include classroom and meeting spaces. The second, occurring during the fall semester, will add a new dish room and a new grill/ deli venue to the food court. Next winter, a third phase will include a new International Station/ Euro Kitchen and seating areas in the current north seating area. Phase four, beginning in spring 2010, will allow students access to the new venues as well as new seating areas, while the current kitchen space is renovated. Next summer, a fifth phase will construct a larger salad bar, soup and bread area, breakfast pantry, bakery and pizza/pasta venue. Finally, during the fall of 2010, all food venues will open and current office space as well as private dining rooms will be renovated. The renovation is scheduled to be completed by the fall 2010 semester. In order to accommodate students during the renovation process, different sections of the food court will be closed throughout the next 18 months. "It sounds similar to Tri-Towers' food court," Nick Dibrito, freshman marketing major, said. "It seems like they are making improvements to all of the food courts in the past few years and I can't complain about that." Students are able to see exactly what will happen during each stage, as well as the plans for the completed dining center currently on display in Watterson Food Court or by visiting Campus Dining's Web site. Students can also voice their opinions about the changes via this page. |
