While many students have come to accept the towering cranes, mounds of clay and inconvenient fences as a norm of life on the South 40, the construction setup still begs the question: Why is there a hole in the South 40?
So far, most students only have vague ideas of what the ongoing construction project might bring.

“I understand that [the hole] is going to be a restaurant—dining area of some sort,” freshman Cameron Moubray said.

Some students, on the other hand, feel less clued in.

“I don’t know. I really don’t know,” freshman Annabella Chang said. “What is it going to be?”

In an effort to enlighten students about the future of the South 40, Student Union’s Campus Services Committee sponsored a “Dining and Construction Forum” on Monday night as part of Senate Outreach week.

Representatives from Dining Services and Residential Life at the forum discussed the second phase of the construction and beyond.

Following the completion of Umrath Hall and partial completion of the South 40 House in late August, the construction moves into Phase II, which is expected to bring radical changes to residential areas by fall 2010.

For one, the lower level of the South 40 House will be expanded into a permanent dining area five times the size of the current one.

The new dining area will also feature additional food options. A taquería and salad bar will be joining the currently available bakery, sandwich station and grill in the new dining area. In the meantime, the two stations reside in the temporary dining area on the upper level.

The new dining space will offer global cuisines such as Mongolian and Indian. The upper level will contain a kosher kitchen and office spaces.

A special chef’s kitchen will be added to the permanent dining facility. Students can reserve this space to host events like birthday parties and private dinners during which the chef will cook directly in front of students.

Chefs also plan to use this space to provide healthy cooking lessons for students that may be broadcasted through WUTube for any other interested students.

“[Students] come [to Washington University] for classes very far away from cooking, but there is a great amount of interest in healthy cooking,” Bon Appétit Executive Chef Gary Suarez said. “This is an opportunity to get together, teach a little and educate students on what we do here on campus.”

Bear Mart, currently located in the upper level of the South 40 House, will move downstairs. As part of the campaign for healthier eating and living, the new market will be similar to Whole Foods—selling more vegetables, fruits and homemade food and cutting down on processed food.

Connected to the South 40 House will be a new multipurpose area for student gatherings called College Hall. During regular hours, College Hall will serve as a seating area with flags for different residential colleges hanging from the ceiling. For special occasions, the space can accommodate events such as housing meetings and student group performances.

Outside the South 40 House, the asphalt driveway that currently divides the Swamp will be removed, and the Swamp will return to its original size.

Another addition to the South 40 will be a dorm near Eliot House, which the architects and administrators currently refer to as “Eliot B.” This new dorm, which will be named after a donor, will form a residential college with Eliot House.
The innovations for Phase II detailed above are not all that are in store for the South 40. Although plans to renovate Rubelmann Hall have been delayed due to the shortage of funding, the Office of Residential Life still intends to renovate the dorm in the near future, said Justin Carroll, associate vice chancellor and dean of students.

Connected to Umrath, the new Rubelmann will have storefronts for student activities on the lower floor and residential areas on the upper floors. If the financial situation allows, ResLife plans to renovate Beaumont and Lee halls as well.
Dick Kirschner of Mackey Mitchell Architects, the firm in charge of the South 40’s renovations, said he is excited for the construction’s end product.

“The whole idea is to create an urban space—an exciting neighborhood space,” Kirschner said.

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Tags: Campus services committee, construction, dining services, residential life, south 40, south 40 house, Student Union

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 at 2:21 am and is filed under Facilities and Construction, News, Residential Life and Dining. You can follow any responses to this entry through this feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.