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The construction at Wells Commons will soon end, allowing students to use the building by Fall 2008. Wells went under the approximate 10 million dollar construction two years ago. According to Kathy Kittridge, the director of dining operations, and Glenn Taylor, director of culinary services, the building was selected for renovation because it was outdated.
Built in 1957, the newly renovated Wells will take on a more modern appearance. The first floor will include options for students including multi-ethnic foods, a cafe, pizza venue, sandwiches and more homemade meal options. Students will be able to use dining funds, meal exchanges, black bear bucks and cash. Kittridge said that Wells may take credit cards in the future.
Each food counter will have its own cash register, allowing faster service for its customers.
The first floor will also contain a circular bar, and a stone-hearth pizza oven. Upon completion, the first floor will seat approximately 354 students.
According to Taylor and Kittridge the upstairs of Wells will be a separate operation in itself. Used only for catering, the second floor will allow food to be prepared and sent out to different parts of campus. Conferences, athletic ceremonies, etc. will get the food for their events from Wells. Currently the catering service is located in Stodder Hall.
The second floor of Wells will contain three conference rooms. Two of the conference rooms are separated by a screen, allowing them to be opened to create a larger room capable of holding up to 376 people. The screens will allow for more than one conference to go on at a time.
A glass window, opening to a granite terrace will also be located on the second floor. This terrace will serve multiple functions, and will seat approximately 72.
There will be two information boards available upon entering Wells that will explains what can be found at Wells and where.
“It’s a lot harder to fix an old building than to build a new one,” said Taylor. During construction, problems have surfaced. For example, the wall holding the building up was honeycombed, causing a delay of a few weeks while construction workers built a more stable steel wall around the old one to support the building.
Despite the problems which arose in the construction at Wells Commons, money has not been an issue. According to Kittridge and Taylor the Commons is at a “good location” near a major athletic facility, Alfond Arena, and near multiple student pathways.
Students who remember what Wells looked like before construction began may be surprised when it reopens. According to Taylor, the “hand railings and stairs are the only original things left.”
