A "steam leak under the floor in the servery area" was the cause of the Gate's closure, which started Feb. 5 and will continue indefinitely, Senior Associate Dean of Residential and Dining Services Richard Bova confirmed Friday. Due to this problem, the Gate does not have any heat and will be closed until the problem is fixed, he said.
Bova estimated that the repairs will take 10 days to complete, but warned that the repair was "an extensive project" that could reveal unforeseen problems. The concrete floor will have to be ripped out in order to access the steam pipe below, he added.
If the repairs take longer than first estimated, Dining Services "will make adjustments with other facilities," like extending dining hours, Bova said. In the meantime, Gate workers are being redistributed to other units, he added.
The more than 100 Gate workers will have priority over openings and substitution requests at other dining areas, said Gate Unit Manager Kara Segal '10.Though "most workers have chosen not to work rather than keep working," Segal said, many already work at other Brown dining facilities.
"We appreciate students' patience for their beloved Gate as we work as quickly as possible," Bova said.
