OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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CORVALLIS - A five-story parking garage near Gill Coliseum on the Oregon State University campus, scheduled to open in August 2005, will eventually have all the amenities you'd expect from such a facility - a gourmet market, New York-style pizza, a Nuevo Latino restaurant and, just maybe, an on-site sushi chef.
Oh, by the way, there will be parking for nearly a thousand cars.
The majority of the ground level of the new parking structure eventually will offer a potpourri of food choices for OSU students, staff and faculty, as well as the community and visitors. The parking garage is the site of a new dining facility being planned to replace Arnold Dining Center on the south side of campus, which serves more than 900 residence hall students.
But, after 30-plus years, the Arnold facility is in need of major repair, says Rich Turnbull, associate director of University Housing and Dining Services. Once the parking structure is complete this fall, the construction team for the dining project will begin its work, with an anticipated completion date by December of 2006.
One of the hallmarks of this new OSU dining center will be the gourmet market, which will feature fresh, local organic produce, when it is available and in season. Also under consideration for inclusion, in addition to the sushi chef, are a juice bar, and tossed-to-order salads. This culinary complex will also feature a bakery, an international grill, a coffee shop and a regional or national restaurant.
The university has been in discussions with McMenamin's about opening a full-service restaurant in the new parking and food emporium complex.
"The location of the facility is ideal not only because of its proximity to three residence halls next door, but also because it is adjacent to the university's conference centers - LaSells Stewart Center, the CH2M-Hill Alumni Center and the Hilton Garden Inn," Turnbull said, "It also is across the street from Reser Stadium and Gill Coliseum.
"Our campus surveys have indicated that because of the diversity of use we need a variety of food choices on that side of campus," he added. "We're excited about the opportunity to meet the variety of needs in ways that complement the food services that are now provided on our campus."
Turnbull said plans are still in the development stage, but the ground floor of the building will have a variety of options. They include:
Turnbull said the university's Housing and Dining Services will operate most of the facilities except the restaurant. Discussions have been ongoing with McMenamin's, which has a chain of popular restaurants in Oregon and are owned by Mike and Brian McMenamin - alumni of Oregon State University.
In addition to the dining options, the ground floor will have a large kitchen facility, a banquet facility that will seat up to 250, a test kitchen, and headquarters for OSU Catering and University Housing and Dining Conference Services.
"We're looking at using part of this new dining center as a training facility," Turnbull said. "We envision cooking classes, demonstrations, and ties to relevant OSU departments. It's always been my dream to partner with KBVR, the campus television station, on a cooking show."
Although the parking garage opens in August 2005, OSU students, staff, faculty and visitors will have to wait to eat at the dining center.
"The new culinary center won't open until January, 2007," Turnbull said.
Rich Turnbull, 541-737-0689
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