Ohio University's Board of Trustees approved an additional $1.64 million in funding for renovating the Central Food Facility at its meeting today.
The allocation will allow the facility to centralize dining hall food production and increase the size of the building.
Dining Services Auxiliary is funding the project, and 34 percent of the revised budget will be used for new equipment, according to a presentation given to the Board.
The project now has a total budget of $7.7 million, according to the Board's resolution.
The project has four phases and is in its first phase, which will be completed in about two years, said Terry Conry, associate vice president for planning and assessment.
Along with new equipment, the renovation will include a 6,750 square-foot addition to the building, which will house a new culinary kitchen, production kitchen, cook/chill operation, ingredient preparation area and administrative areas.
We're increasing the scope of the project and procuring equipment that will help with centralized production
said Mike Angelini, associate vice president for Finance, adding that centralizing where OU food is prepared will eliminate $500,000 in costs per year.
Cutting food production costs can also save students money in the long run because the price for dining plans will not have to be increased by as much, he said.
The Central Food building is still fully operational despite the renovations, and once the project is complete, more food will be prepared in the centralized location and then transported to the dining halls for cooking, Angelini said. 1
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Pamela Engel
