The Technology Depot and Bobcat Essentials will become a united retail operation beginning later this calendar year.
Ohio University will combine the two retail spaces on the first floor of Baker University Center this summer.
Renovations to the first floor of Baker will focus on expanding the existing Tech Depot footprint to accommodate the combined venues, Dan Pittman, assistant director of auxiliary sales, said in an email.
The renovations will not take place until the end of the semester and are planned to be completed around summer events, such as Bobcat Student Orientation.
The goal of the renovations is “to further enhance the retail experience for all of Ohio’s students,” Pittman said. “We’re excited to provide a one-stop campus location that offers everything from textbooks to technology.”
Bobcat Essentials and Tech Depot are looking at ways to accommodate current employees of both venues as the transition occurs, Pittman said.
In addition to maximizing sales and convenience, the university hopes this rearrangement of Baker’s occupants will fulfill its commitment to expand the Allen Student Help Center while keeping its central location.
The center will expand into the current Bobcat Essentials space after the move.
“Currently, Allen has three staff members and seven graduate students in a space that is barely more than 600 square feet,” said David Descutner, University College dean and associate provost for Undergraduate Studies.
The expansion will allow for more privacy for students seeking help from the center. The move also creates an opportunity to hire additional staff, such as a specialized, first-generation college student adviser.
Other staff that is a part of the Allen Center, such as Bobcat Student Orientation leaders, will be more centrally located in Baker once the center expands.
“Ohio is dedicated to helping more students succeed academically and achieve timely graduation, and Allen is a pivotal piece of the university's work toward those goals,” Descutner said.
The university will give the honor of christening the new retail center to any students, faculty and staff.
A universitywide competition will be held until Wednesday, and the contestant with the best name suggestion will win a 16GB iPad Mini.
@sethparcher
sa587812@ohiou.edu
This article appeared in print under the headline "Baker stores outline merge"
