Students spent last year frustrated at the ubiquitous construction zones surrounding Newcomb inside and outside, and they returned to familiar-looking plywood barriers and newly blocked off areas. Amid these inconveniences, however, the new Newcomb is gradually emerging. The building's massive overhaul began in May 2010 and is scheduled to progress through fall 2012.
The renovations are divided into three phases: Phase 1 was completed in June 2011, and Phase 2 will be completed this month.
The Newcomb renovations impact virtually all areas of student life. The Student Activities Center has been transformed into a sleek, glass-walled space, and the ballroom has been renovated.
The renovation of the dining hall likely has the most impact on student life, however. Director of Dining Services Brent Beringer said the renovated space will include multiple dining stations: a noodle bar called "In the Nood" which was designed in part by now-graduated Commerce students and is scheduled to open next fall, a Mediterranean station featuring pizza and pasta, a grill station, an international grill station, a produce station and salad bar, a dessert and bakery station, a comfort food station, and a deli station which will open this week in a temporary location. The Brown College Dining Room will be moved away from its old location near the dish return to the far end of the building, a more private atmosphere.
Central to the renovation is the space-saving concept of the absence of a centralized kitchen. All food will be prepared at the individual stations.
"Our overall goal in remodeling is basically twofold - one is to add more capacity, particularly at lunch, and the second one is to just update the program completely," Beringer said.
The remodeling involves changes not only to the aesthetic appeal of the dining hall, but also to the way it operates. Newcomb Dining Hall, in contrast to Observatory Hill Dining Hall and Runk Dining Hall, will not have to-go boxes.
"It's simply a capacity issue," Beringer said, noting that the removal of the to-go boxes from the dining hall will help clear some of the congestion which has plagued Newcomb during peak hours. Now, there is a separate to-go station, featuring a different menu. At the moment, it is temporarily housed in the former game room. The new dining hall is also more environmentally sustainable than before. Improvements include Energy Star equipment; low volatile organic compound paint, carpet and furnishings; energy efficient lighting; and cooked-to-order food (which results in reduced food waste), University Dining Marketing Manager Nicole Jackson said in an email.
The made-to-order concept is designed to reduce the institutional feel of many dining halls. "[The made-to-order system] allows for more interaction with the students and customers, and really forms that connection between the chef cooking the meal and what is on the plate," Newcomb Executive Chef Erin Woodward said in an email.
Dining District Executive Chef Bryan Kelly was also enthusiastic about the change.
"The chefs at Newcomb ... are incredible, and I'm excited that they are able to share their talents in a more transparent atmosphere with the customers," he said in an email. "The only drawback is that we will still have construction on-going around us every day, but that is the new reality of the entirety of Newcomb Hall."
Because of complications with construction, Newcomb has about 125 fewer seats than it did prior to the renovations, Beringer said. Along with separating the to-go station, Newcomb has implemented auxiliary programs to compensate for its smaller capacity. On-Grounds food trucks, a Mediterranean to-go lunch option at Shea House and the Meal Exchange program, in which meal swipes can be used to pay for select meals at on-Grounds retail locations such as Crossroads.
As the renovations are incomplete, the central portion of the dining hall is closed off. The resultant setup involves two distinct rooms, which students travel to and from via the hallway.
Student reactions to the new Newcomb range widely. First-year College students Elizabeth Smith and Erin Comerford agreed that the dining hall was "better than O-Hill" and said it was much quieter.
Others were less satisfied. "Everything is just a complete mess," fourth-year College student Craig Seymour said. He added that the temporary two-room setup presents an opportunity for honor code violations, because students need to swipe in at only one swipe station and can gain admittance to the other one by saying they have already swiped.
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