After nearly two years of construction, the much-anticipated War Memorial Student Union expansion is finally reaching completion.
According to Robin Parker, director for marketing and strategic initiatives with Auxiliary Services, the Student Union Expansion and Renovation Project was the result of high student demand. A student vote in 2006 on a self-assessed fee allowed for the expansion.
Phase I of the union renovation, the expansion, will include a new cafeteria called The Mane Dish.
However, complete renovations for Phase I are not expected to be completed until mid-February, therefore the current cafeteria will be used at the start of the semester. The tentative opening of the new Student Union is Feb. 17, 2014.
“Phase I consists of an addition to the existing union that will include a new food court on the first floor, a new fresh food concept restaurant, The Mane Dish, on the second floor and new ballroom space on the third floor,” said Parker. “Phase II construction will begin in January 2014, which will involve renovations to the existing Student Union area and relocation of the University Bookstore to the current Lion’s Den location.”
After the renovations are complete, the old Student Union building will house offices for the Division of Student Affairs, the Bookstore and new meeting rooms. Eventually, the university plans to remove the building that currently houses Cayman Café. However, Twelve Oaks, Chick-fil-A and Quiznos will remain open throughout the spring semester.
The relocation of the university’s cafeteria is not the only change being made in regards to campus dining. The Mane Dish will be structured to provide fresher, healthier meals for students to enjoy.
“The Mane Dish will feature a fresh food concept offering a wide range of foods prepared on the spot in front of guests,” said Parker. “There will be a number of stations providing continuous dining throughout the day, including a comfort station with home style dishes, a Mongolian grill and a pasta station. Pizza and salad will also be available, along with a grill and deli station offering hot and cold sandwiches and paninis daily.”
In the past, students with meal plans were unable to use their Cub Cash during a “blackout” period of time, which was each day from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“The Cub Cash blackout no longer exists,” said Parker. “That has been planned since the plans went into motion to build a new dining facility. The reason the blackout existed was because the Lion’s Den was not large enough to accommodate both residential and commuter students during the peak lunch period. The Mane Dish will be able to handle larger crowds.”
According to Parker, new restaurants to be added to the food court include Panda Express and MOOYAH, a burger restaurant. A second Chick-fil-A location will be added to the food court; the location next to Cayman Café will remain the same while the new Chick-fil-A restaurant in the food court will be full service.  The newer Chick-fil-A will have a wider menu with breakfast items.
The expanded Student Union will have a KwikBoost cell phone charging station.
“The university is excited about the new dining facilities and looks forward to providing a variety of new food options to the campus community through its business partnership with Aramark,” said Parker.
All three phases of the Student Union expansion are expected to be complete near the end of 2014. Thanks to decisions made by the student body, the campus is receiving a huge upgrade to the building that has some of the heaviest traffic on campus.