Students will once again have the options of Hodgdon Good-to-Go and parts of Hotung Caf?© when the two facilities reopen soon.
While Hodgdon will be open to students starting tomorrow at 8 a.m., construction in Hotung has experienced delays and will likely not be completed until November.
Although the first round of construction in Hotung drew to a close in the spring with the April 10 reopening of its servery area, a second round affecting the dining area and balcony of the caf?© began after Commencement.
According to the initial plan, devised by Tufts and Livermore Edwards & Associates Architects and Planners, the second round of construction was supposed to be completed by the beginning of September for a price tag of about $600,000, Vice President of Operations John Roberto said. It was also supposed to include the lounge on the floor above Hotung.
"The number was just based on a bunch of sketches and very rudimentary information," he said.
But after more input from students and contractors, the scope of the project became broader and when it went out to bidders, companies were submitting estimates north of $1 million.
"It was literally back to the drawing board," Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman said.
Tufts and Livermore Edwards redesigned the plan, taking the work on the upper lounge out of the equation for now.
"If we can get it in, we will," Roberto said. "But it's not currently in the project."
As part of the new plan, planners also made a point of trying to find good prices on lighting and sound systems, although Roberto said that quality was not compromised in the bidding process.
Tufts is paying JK Blackstone Construction Corporation $997,000 for the construction. This price does not include the custom furniture and television sets that will be moved in before the area opens. Roberto said that during various steps of the planning process, Tufts decided to make additions and pay more.
When it is finally ready, flat-screen televisions and monitors will hang around the room and a performance area defined by lights and a short wall will have replaced the old stage. This new setup will be less intrusive to the daytime caf?© than the old stage and will allow for more seating space during performances.
In another part of campus, the Hodgdon construction this summer updated the electrical wiring and plumbing. Old mechanical systems were also revamped, which had practical benefits that included making walk-in refrigerators and freezers more accessible.
"I think of it as 'gut and make new,'" Director of Dining Services Patricia Klos said. "The infrastructure needed to be brought up to current code and when the kitchen was originally built, the style of service was very different than what we do today."
In the dining area, two of the improvements students will see are an enlarged deli and new countertops. Two more cash registers will also be added and manned during high congestion times to quicken service.
The menu has not changed significantly, but Thai and Vietnamese options will be added to Pan-Asia Express, the Chinese food area.
"I think they'll be very pleased," Klos said of the students. "There's a lot more room to circulate."
