The Board of Trustees approved funding for the second phase of upgrades to the student dining experience, including the reopening of Greylock Dining Hall. The changes were announced by President Maud S. Mandel in an email to the College community on Thursday.

This summer, construction work will begin on the dining hall on the second floor of Greylock Hall for reopening, which has not served food since 2011. The dining hall was closed as part of a restructuring of the College’s dining program following the debut of Whitmans’ Dining Hall in 2007. In the following years, the majority of Greylock Hall was converted into classrooms, performance spaces, and offices. The dining hall currently serves as a multipurpose space used by the dance and theatre departments and various student groups.

Vice President for Finance and Operations Mike Wagner wrote in an email to the Record that construction will begin next summer to renovate Lee Snack Bar and create a grab-and-go café in Sawyer serving similar fare to Eco Cafe. The changes to the Snack Bar will include a redesign of the food preparation and ordering areas to maximize efficiency. The plan also includes “capacity improvements at Paresky and Driscoll, along with expanded seating availability on the entrance level of Driscoll,” according to Mandel’s email.

The first phase of the dining upgrades project wrapped up over the summer, including equipment upgrades and renovations at Eco Cafe, Mission Park, and Driscoll. 

“Our collaborative team — including Dining Services, Facilities, and Bruner/Cott architects — has been working diligently to design enhancements that directly respond to student feedback and support our mission: providing a community environment that delivers nutritious, fresh, diverse, and sustainable dining experiences,” Assistant Vice President for Dining and Auxiliary Services Temesgen Araya wrote in an email to the Record.

“I imagine students appreciate the dedication of the dining staff who work so hard to provide high-quality and varied meal choices,” Wagner wrote. “These upgrades to the facilities and spaces will help support their efforts.”