Central Campus may be sporting a new look by the time students return to school in the fall.
Plans to renovate the Multipurpose Center, The Pub and Uncle Harry's General Store are now in their preliminary stages, said Joe Pietrantoni, associate vice president for auxiliary services.
If the project is approved, the Multipurpose Center would be converted into a bar and grill-style restaurant with pool tables, a stage and a large patio area, said Trinity senior Peggy Cross, Duke Student Government president. "Students need a place like this just to hang out," she said. "The Pub is too small for that."
It will take approximately three weeks to complete the plans and get the project's budget, Pietrantoni said. "Right now, we're aiming to get the planning completed by the middle of June," he said. "If the word is go, then we would start immediately and we should be able to finish by around Aug. 23."
Even in their preliminary stages, the plans are moving quickly. "It's a suicide pace," said Rick Owen, manager of the Bryan Center and head of the Multipurpose Center project. "Right now we're still working on creating and designing a format for the project."
The new restaurant would eliminate the need for the Pub and would allow that space to be used in expanding Uncle Harry's, Pietrantoni said. "We would add a deli section with fresh meats and breads so you could actually buy real food," Cross said.
The planned renovations were generated in part by discussions on residential life and alcohol policy, Cross said. Other ideas were considered, such as the renovation of the Bryan Center's Devil's Quarters, but as discussions progressed it became clear that there was not enough space available, she said. "We decided we would go full force with this idea and build on Central."
Students voiced their enthusiasm and preferences for the bar and grill in a survey sent out to all undergraduates only a few days before the end of the semester. Despite the late mailing, over 950 students responded to the survey. "I was overwhelmed," said Cross. "It was clear that students really wanted this thing."
Students' specific ideas for the project were also encouraging, she said. "The comments students provided were really constructive," she said. "The clear theme was to make it a place where students could find a comfortable booth in which they could simply relax and talk."
Before the project can be initiated, however, many issues must first be addressed, Pietrantoni said. Of primary concern is the effect that the renovations will have on those groups currently guaranteed use of the Multipurpose Center at least once a semester, he said.
There are 13 such groups on campus, but many of them do not consistently use the building, said Cross. Of those 13 groups, only eight used the center this past year and only two of those eight used it more than once, she said.
Those groups that have taken advantage of the center, however, have used it for regular events that would not be easily moved to a different location. "We use the [Multipurpose Center] every year for the same Valentine's semi-formal because we can't afford to go off campus," said Rachel Baer, Trinity '95 and past president of the Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority.
"Most places off campus won't even rent to sororities anyway," she said. "The elimination of the center will be somewhat frustrating."
The new bar and grill, however, would be available for use by student groups, Cross said.
Current use of the facility is not the only concern for those planning the changes. In order to accommodate the new facility, Central Campus bus routes will have to be modified slightly.
"We are limited by the fact that both Oregon and Pace are not full regulation roadways," Majestic said. "We are trying to get students to the closest spot to the center without having to spend money on the roads."
With only a slight modification to the normal route, buses could drop students off just below the parking office on Oregon Street, Majestic said. Students would then only have a minute or two walk up the hill to the new facility, he said.
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