The $12 million West Green Market District renovation was completed with no major problems, but not every student is impressed with the results.
Ohio University’s West Green Market District was the last of the dining halls on campus to be renovated and its facelift came with a hefty price tag.
The building's $12 million renovation was completed earlier this year, Mark Brunton, assistant director of auxiliaries marketing and communication, said.
The project was estimated to cost $10 million, according to the university's Budget Book for the 2014-15 academic year.
"I would like to know where the other two million came from," Hunter Kazmierczak, a freshman studying psychology, said. "It doesn't make sense that the budget was supposed to be $10 million. I'm not too happy because I'm already paying $25,000 to come here and I feel like the money for the renovations is coming out of my pocket."
Ben Bruggema, a junior studying marketing, feels that the cost of the renovation is justified.
"I don't have a lot of experience when it comes to how much it costs to renovate," Bruggema said. "I really like the Boyd renovation. It's a little modern for my taste, but I feel like the student reception has generally been pretty positive."
The dining halls made a total of $44,159,897 for the 2015 fiscal year, but had a total of $31,612,196 in expenses, according to the budget book.
Culinary Services renovation expenses totaled $17,349,349 for the 2014-15 academic year, according to a presentation from OU's Budget Planning Council meeting in November 2014.
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After the West Green Market District's renovation was complete, there was one problem with the sensors on the water dispensers. The sensors that were originally installed detected opaque cups, but the cups used in all OU dining halls are clear. That minor setback, which was fixed within three weeks, did not cost the university additional money because the dispensers were under warranty, Brunton said.
Having a newly-renovated dining hall was nice for incoming freshmen, Carly Kay, a freshman studying sociology pre-law who lives on West Green, said.
“Boyd is the nicest dining hall on campus,” Kay said. “I love it. It reminds me of a nice restaurant. I go to the other dining halls a lot because that’s where my friends go, but Boyd is the best. Even the chairs are more stylish.”
However, despite the dining hall's aesthetic, the West Green Market District is not worth the trouble to walk to from East Green, Levi Quintero, a freshman studying film, said.
“Shively is my favorite dining hall because it’s the closest,” Quintero said. “Boyd looks nice, but it’s too much of a walk when I might not even get the food I want. The last two times I went, they have been out of meat."
@KyraCobbie
kc036114@ohio.edu
