SOME DETAILS REMAIN THE SAME—OTHERS STILL UNCERTAIN—

Last semester, the Old Gold and Black reported on the planned mid-year renovations to the Galleria at the Michael S. Brown Village Center. While the plans for the renovation are beginning to become clearer, the project has been delayed until the summer.

Jason Burr, associate vice president of facilities and capital projects, says that the delay is for the best. “We started pricing things out and realized our budget was tight,” Burr says.

“We felt like summer was a more appropriate time.”

The project was initially set to be finished by the end of Interim, but Burr says it will now be ready by the fall semester of 2015.

The delay has allowed Burr and his team to plan more for the renovation and become more acquainted with the problems of the current Galleria. The acoustic issues of the current space are one of those problems.

“It is hectic in there during meal trade out,” Burr says. “We had a meeting in there to understand the rush and by the end of the hour my head was hurting.”

The plans for renovation are extensive. The kitchen will switch from electric equipment to gas, and a new menu is in the works. Burr says they have taken the process of selecting a new menu very seriously because of the implications it could have on the budget of the overall project.

“We brought in a group of students to help taste test some menu options,” Burr says. “Basically we understand that if we pick a good menu, then we won’t have to spend as much money on renovations of the kitchen.”

Burr says that saved money could be used inside the dining area to enhance the atmosphere, including televisions so students will have a location to watch Wofford away games.

“Working on the menu means that we can spend more money on furniture and other things to improve the dining experience.”

Many parts of the plan haven’t changed. For instance, the addition of beer and wine sales is still planned.

Burr says the delay until summer is also important because it allows the staff to train in the new conditions. There has not been a decision about whether the status of meal trade out in the Galleria will be changed. Currently the Galleria only offers meal trade out during lunchtime. Burr is unsure if this will change.

“We know that meal trade out is very popular and that is something we will consider,” Burr says. With the menu becoming somewhat higher end, Burr says this may not be a possibility – but he is open to consider all options.