This summer, EvCC's Parks Student Union building will be undergoing renovations in its east quadrant.

The primary area of renovation will include the building's cafeteria, kitchen and gallery. The construction will make way for the building's new eatery, Café Bistro, as well as an updated and improved Russell Day Gallery.

Café Bistro will be a modern self-service restaurant open to students and staff.

"I really think it will be a place where people will want to gather," said Thom Watson, director of Facilities.

The café will have two levels. The servery will be located on the ground level, and will include a self-service area, salad bar and soup station. The ground level will also feature an espresso bar and a dining table made from natural wood with additional seating.

The upper level will be a mezzanine area with perimeter railings, allowing students to look down upon the servery. Seating will also be located on the upper level, which will feature a nook with a sofa and television.

The café will be fitted with updated furniture, featuring restaurant-style seating and traditional tables and chairs. Another feature of the café will be a large fireplace mounted along the mezzanine.

The building's exterior will also be updated. Floor to ceiling windows will be implemented, replacing the building's current brick exterior. An outdoor balcony will be added to the café's top level.

The campus sustainability committee is working on developing a request for quote to be sent to vendors.

"The sort of food [that will be served] has not been decided," said Molly Beeman, administrative services manager and resource conservation manager.

The request for quotes will determine the type of food to be served, where and through what processes the food is grown, and whether or not it will be purchased locally, according to Beeman.

The Russell Day Gallery will also be updated and relocated. Security will be improved at the new location, allowing the gallery to host more high profile exhibitions, according to Watson. The gallery will be fitted with new security cameras and a key card entry system that will monitor visitors.

Track lighting used in the current gallery will be upgraded with new energy efficient LED lighting fixtures. The lighting system will improve the gallery's display, according to Jeanne Leader, dean of Library, Media, Arts and Distance Learning.

The new gallery will be considerably larger. The increased space will provide more performance opportunities, such as for poetry readings, said Leader, as there will be an option for seating. The larger gallery will also have significantly more storage space, which will improve the maintenance of collections.

Construction for the project will begin in the summer of 2010, and is scheduled to be a nine-month process. During this time, the cafeteria will be closed.

To make food available for students, the bookstore will be augmented with a larger selection of food.

"We will carry a selection of fresh sandwiches and salads," said Kerry Kirk, director of the bookstore.

The bookstore staff is also looking into the possibility of offering hot and cold premade foods, as well as microwavables, according to Kirk.

College officials are also looking into the possibility of hiring catering trucks to provide food for students.
Rather than using state allocated funds, college officials receive a loan from the treasury, which will be paid back using revenue from student fees to finance the renovations.

Café Bistro and the Russell Day Gallery are scheduled to open in the spring of 2011.