Photos: University Dining Hall opens
Video: Students react to new dining hall
Bellarmine University opened a new
University Dining Hall to serve a record 1,009 students living on campus, along with more than 2,100 commuter students.
The new 540-seat, 21,500-square-foot dining hall features indoor and patio seating areas, with a panoramic window – 25 feet tall – providing an abundance of natural light and scenic views of Bellarmine’s rolling hills.
University Dining Hall was constructed in the same location as Bellarmine’s old cafeteria, although the new facility occupies a greatly expanded footprint. It was constructed as part of a $7.5 million overhaul of the George G. Brown Center, which also includes a renovated and expanded School of Communication and the Amelia Brown Frazier Convocation Hall.
“As Bellarmine grows, it’s important we develop support facilities that meet the needs of our students,” said Dr. Joseph J. McGowan, Bellarmine’s president. “That’s why we’ve invested in the new University Dining Hall, in new residence halls, improved classroom space, additional parking, and better athletic facilities.”
The new dining hall is one of several construction projects underway this year. In August, Bellarmine opened a new 129-bed residence hall, and began construction on another residence hall that will open next fall. The Student Recreation and Fitness Center received a significant renovation over the summer, and the Jack McGetrick Plaza and Locker Room was dedicated at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium in February, in honor of the coach's dedication to the lacrosse community and his service as founding coach of the men's lacrosse program at Bellarmine. McGetrick passed away last weekend.
The University Dining Hall is managed by Sodexo, Inc., which also operated the previous cafeteria. Sodexo is the leading provider of integrated food and facilities management services in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico serving 10 million customers in 6,000 locations every day.
University Dining Hall will use fruits and vegetables grown locally on the Bellarmine Farm, which is a project of the university’s Center for Regional Environmental Studies.
About Bellarmine
Bellarmine University is an independent Catholic university offering more than 50 majors, as well as graduate degree programs, a doctor of nursing practice and a doctor of physical therapy. U.S. News & World Report and the Princeton Review consistently rank Bellarmine among America’s best institutions for higher education. The university is celebrating 60 years of academic excellence for lives of leadership and service.
| President Joseph J. McGowan and Student Government President Amy Puerto open the new University Dining Hall. |