The Gate will be relocated to Andrews Dining Hall and expanded into a new eatery and social space, said Richard Bova, senior associate dean of residential life and dining services. Construction is scheduled to begin in June, with an estimated completion date of January 2014.
There is “a lack of space on campus where students can meet, talk with classmates and eat at the same time,” Bova said, adding that the Gate is limited in its seating capacity and food offerings because of its current size.
The new Andrews Dining Commons will serve as an eatery, as well as a study and meeting area for students.
“We are currently looking at an area with about 200 plus seats,” Bova said.
The construction project will eliminate the wall currently separating the kitchen from the main area to create an expansive space where students can see the activity in the kitchen, Bova said.
“We are utilizing a lot of glass so students will enjoy the openness of the space,” he said, adding that it will retain its 15 to 18 foot ceilings. Other features will include new seminar classrooms and access from Andrews Commons to a new 24-hour study center.
“If you think about mushing several floors of (Faunce House) together, this will be the aim up on Pembroke,” said MaryLou McMillan ’85, senior director for planning and projects
The new eatery will “give students a sense that there is housing, food, congregating space and a whole personality to Pembroke,” said McMillan, who lived on Pembroke Campus for three years while she was a student. Bova said in addition to the Miller, Metcalf and Andrews renovations, the new eatery will help “to anchor Pembroke” and provide a “great tribute and opportunity for Pembroke students.”
Andrews Dining Commons will retain the current Gate’s menu — including pizza and panini sandwiches — but will offer expanded options, Bova said. He said he anticipates the space will remain open on weekends and until late at night to maximize student use. In the future “we will be meeting with students to refine the menu and hours of operation,” Bova said.
Elodi Healy ’16 said she has a “Gate crew” with whom she visits the eatery almost every night. She said she enjoys the “pretty good food,” large seating area and convenient location near her dorm.“I just don’t want to lose a place to hang out,” she said.
Ian Garrity ’16 lives on Pembroke Campus and works for Brown University Dining Services at the Gate.
“The Gate really cements the community, especially on weekends because the (Verney-Woolley Dining Hall)isn’t open,” he said. Garrity said he hopes the new space will continue to serve “as a resource (in which) to work and make money,” he said. “The Gate is a wonderful place to work and I hope the University works on retaining that.”
Student staff size is unlikely to decrease — “If anything (the Andrews Dining Commons) will require new folks to support it,” he said, adding that the Blue Room serves almost three times the volume of food today as the eatery did before renovations.
“From the way it sounds, the new eatery could be very swanky,” Garrity said. “It’s going to be a different Gate.”
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