News > February 21, 2008

By Lillian King | Staff writer

The Class of 2012 will never know Benson University Center’s food court quite like it exists today. Fall 2008 marks the beginning of phase one of the two phase Benson renovation plan. Construction workers will be plentiful around the university’s campus next semester.

They will work not only on updating the library’s 24-hour rooms and transforming the Faculty Apartments into student apartments, but they will also renovate the area in Benson currently occupied by Shorty’s and Bodega.

Shorty’s will remain a restaurant, but the proposed plan aims to update and expand the eating place in order to incorporate a fully-functional kitchen and offer more food options. The university is hoping that this will increase the popularity of Shorty’s around campus.

The university is also considering keeping the restaurant open for later hours if the demand goes up as they expect.

Shorty’s neighbor, Bodega, a store that currently offers a variety of snacks and beverages, will be converted into a deli. During these renovations Shorty’s and Bodega will be closed.

However, the rest of Benson will remain open, and the university is aiming to have all of Benson re-open to students in spring of 2009 when the first phase of the Benson renovations are projected to have finished.

Phase two of the renovations will begin during the summer of 2009.

Phase two plans propose redoing the rest of the Benson food court, including the seating area. The plans suggest bringing in a wider variety of food options.

It is projected to include both international foods (which would rotate from day to day with options like Thai, Mexican and Greek) and local cuisines.

Chick-fil-a will remain in the food court.

These new food options have been carefully selected by the Benson Food Court Advisory Committee.

They have been working in association with ARAMARK, the organization that renders the majority of the food services to the university.

The Advisory Committee, a group consisting of both faculty and students, has worked together, taking polls of students and collaborating ideas, to choose foods that will offer variety and target more buyers.

Phase two of the Benson renovation plans also hopes to open up the court seating area and create a more inviting and modern atmosphere.

Pizza Hut, an organization not operated by Aramark, will remain in Benson, and the area around it will remain the same.

The Benson renovation plan is a massive operation that is estimated to cost between $2.5-3 million and will likely increase the cost of food in Benson.

Jim Alty, assistant vice president of facilities management, has said that all in all, “everyone’s been really supportive of the whole process.”

The center was last updated in the late ‘80s.

The university hopes that by rebuffing the area and creating a more inviting atmosphere with more varied food, business will increase and students will have another option for food and hanging out.

For more information on the upcoming Benson renovation plans and other upcoming additions to the university’s community, students can read the Feb. 12 press release audible on the OGB Web site at www.oldgoldandblack.com