After a spring hiatus, Ohio University students will have a new place to chow down this fall.
The newly renovated Nelson Commons will open before Fall Semester begins.
The construction crew is finishing the project both on time and within its budget, having reached substantial completion at the end of July, said Brian Thompson, director of auxiliaries.
The inspections have been completed and there are only a few items, such as paint touch-ups, left to finish while full-time staff members start coming to the facility for training, he said.
With Nelson expected to open for the first day of Fall-Semester classes, the dining-hall staff is planning accordingly for the large number of interested students.
“It’s going to be awesome,” said Brandon Lutz, a sophomore studying media arts and studies. “I won’t have to get the same thing every day like I did at Shively.”
Nelson student workers who were relocated are also excited for the dining hall’s reopening.
“We have really been looking forward to going back,” said Megan Moore, a junior studying plant biology. “This year’s on-campus students will have such a great selection of food service. I wish they had renovated sooner.”
The student leaders have continued to send out positive reports on the interior design, Moore said.
“I am proud to be a part of Nelson,” she added.
The dining hall will feature four different concepts: all-day breakfast, barbeque, Mediterranean and Asian. There will also be a salad bar offering a different entrée daily, Thompson said.
Instead of offering the traditional Grab-N-Go students are accustomed to, Nelson will offer a carry-out service. This was first introduced in Jefferson Dining Hall, then in Shively Dining Hall and Boyd Dining Hall, he said.
With the new carry-out option, Nelson Grab-N-Go will only be open until 8 p.m.
That is a change from the old Grab-N-Go’s late-night hours. The new South Side Café and Nelson Market, however, will keep their doors open later for OU’s night owls, Thompson said.
The market will have a larger selection than before and the café will offer options that are not available at other campus venues. Students can look forward to enjoying sparkling soda, smoothies and gelato, Thompson said.
As the first phase of Nelson’s renovations come to a close, the second phase will soon begin. That phase includes the construction of a new banquet room and private dining facility that will be available to student organizations as well as for other campus events, Thompson said.
After Nelson and Central Food Facility’s renovations are complete, the next dining hall to be renovated will be Boyd, he added.
“We are still working on the dates, but that is still another two to three years out,” Thompson said.
