University Facilities Services has drafting underway for multiple projects that will significantly expand and renovate the Student Union Building in the coming years. Current underclassmen will enjoy a servery with greater efficiency and a kitchen with more space for S.U.B. workers to cook food and wash dishes. The servery has struggled to meet the demands of the student population during peak hours in recent years, and the proposed changes seek to minimize lines especially during lunch and dinner.
The projects are part of a larger effort to update the S.U.B., whose dining area and servery were designed for a student population of 1,100. Bob Kief, Associate Vice President for Facilities Services, said that the renovations are “designed to meet the future needs of the class” and accommodate the requirements of a student population numbering around 2,500.
Modernizing the Information Center over the summer was just the first phase of the effort to renovate the S.U.B. Facilities is currently drawing up schematics for projects that include an addition to Marshall Hall, which will allow more room for cooking and seating, as well as expanding the servery, installing a more accessible elevator and placing restrooms in the public area. In the more distant future, Facilities will seek to renovate the second floor of the S.U.B. to create a more efficient use of space for the multiple departments based within.
Although many difficulties slow the progress of renovating the S.U.B., the main problem stems from the fact that it cannot be closed during the school year, as the building is the center of student life on campus. Large-scale renovations must wait until the limited time during summer and winter breaks when students do not frequent the building. The Board of Trustees must also approve the proposed changes, although the Board has generally been supportive of well planned projects that will improve the university’s functionality and benefit students.
Currently absent from the plans is a renovation of Club Rendezvous, the 1,000 square-foot room adjacent to the Cellar. While both ASUPS and S.U.B. workers feel the space is underutilized, no ideas have been put forth that satisfy both groups in terms of changing the space. Club Rendezvous often reaches its maximum occupancy during performances by the improvisation group, Ubiquitous They, but is otherwise rarely used.