gordon dining and event center overview

Set to open in fall 2012, the 99,800 sq ft, $34.1 million Gordon Dining & Event Center is located just south of the existing Gordon Commons next to Sellery Hall, Witte Hall, and Ogg Hall in the southeast neighborhood. After completion of the new Gordon Dining & Event Center in fall 2012, the existing Gordon Commons will be demolished and replaced by green space. This new recreational green space will be finished in fall 2013. A live webcam on Sellery Hall provides real-time images of the Gordon Dining & Event Center's construction.

• 12 diverse marketplace dining venues & a convenience store
• Three dining areas with seating for 600 students
• Second floor balcony gathering space overlooking dining area
• Symphony Conference/Meeting Room with 300 seats
• Overture, Concerto, and Sonata Conference/Meeting Rooms with 250 seats each that can be combined into one large room with 750 seats
• Formal dining/meeting room with space for 20 people
• Spacious fireplace lounge
• 55,000 sq ft of recreation/green space
• Floor-to-ceiling window views of the Kohl Center, Ogg Hall, Sellery Hall, Witte Hall, and Dayton Street
• Dining & Culinary Services office/food production space and loading dock

Construction Overview

Gordon Commons was built in 1965 to serve as both the dining facility for over 3,000 residents of the Southeast Area and the commissary (central kitchen) for the entire University Housing Dining and Culinary Services program. At the time of Gordon’s construction, the Housing program was the traditional, single-line cafeteria operation with three meals daily, each served for about an hour. This type of food service required six dining rooms with serving lines to feed all students within a very short time period.

Currently, two dining rooms are utilized for daily food service in Gordon Commons; other former cafeteria seating spaces are being used for events, meetings, and student activities. The University Housing Commissary occupies one-third of the ground floor of Gordon Commons and still prepares much of the food served across campus, including pastries, desserts, casseroles, and salad items. Kitchen areas in Gordon have been changed very little in the past 39 years.

After extensive study of multiple renovation options, it was decided to replace Gordon Commons rather than renovate the building. The new Gordon Dining & Event Center will provide similar dining and culinary services to those currently provided in Gordon Commons. Large, flexible program spaces will also be a major feature of the new facility.