The Observatory Hill dining hall, which feeds thousands of students every year, is moving to its new location later this semester.
"Right now we're shooting to have the new O-Hill open after Spring Break," Director of Dining Eddie Whedbee said. "The worst-case scenario is after Easter break."
The deadline, which has been pushed back repeatedly, has frustrated some students.
"It's aggravating to walk by and have it appear so ready but not actually be ready," first-year Engineering student Steve Truitt said.
Currently, the construction crews are putting finishing touches on the insides of the building, according to Whedbee.
Senior Project Manager Libba Bowling admits the building is not impressive from the outside.
"It's an ugly building on the outside but it's gorgeous on the inside," Bowling said.
Upon entering the building from Alderman Road, students will be able to shop at the Emporium, a convenience store that is two times the size of the Root Cellar, the nearby convenience store the Emporium is replacing. The new facility will also feature the Stoplight Grill, Sbarros and Pao's, which is modeled after Panera Bread.
"We looked at JMU and saw that Sbarros was a big hit there," Whedbee said. "We looked in town and saw that Panera was a big hit nationally. The grill was an obvious choice because the Treehouse gets such a large amount of business."
The building will also house a new dining hall on the second floor, with seating areas on both the second and third floors.
"Upstairs we will have a state-of-the-art dining hall," Whedbee said. "There will be no wall between where you are and the kitchen. Everything is prepared in front of you."
The building will house more than just dining facilities. In the fall of 2005, a theater space similar to the Student Activities Building will open on the first level, Bowling said.
University students said they are eagerly awaiting the opening of the new facility.
"I'm really looking forward to the opening of the new O-Hill," first-year College student Megan Morton said.
Once the new facility opens, however, it will take some time to work out the kinks.
"It's different and new equipment, and the people who are working here have never used it, so students will need to be patient," Bowling said.
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