Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Despite projections that construction would be completed this fall for a major renovation and expansion of Colvard Student Union at Mississippi State, the facility will not be ready for a planned Nov. 1 opening, the university learned this week.
"We've been told that delays in the delivery of critical materials will push the completion date beyond the end of the year," said MSU President Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong.
By contract, the renovation of the central-campus facility must be complete by Dec. 22, but the prime contractor had expressed confidence in an earlier completion date, he added.
"We made some good-faith decisions based on this understanding and on the information we had," Foglesong said. "In retrospect, we shouldn't have accepted this at face value and been so optimistic."
He said officials on Tuesday [Sept. 18] were notified by West Brothers Construction that the planned November opening would not happen.
"There clearly have been some failures in the communication and decision-making processes related to this project," Foglesong said. "We will review our processes to ensure more effective project management, and we would hope the contractor would do the same."
Foglesong said the university has made a decision that a $30-per-semester student fee assessed for the renovation project would be refunded to students this semester.
"It's just the right thing to do," he said. "This is a major center of life for our campus, and it will not be available for students' use this fall."
When open, the facility will provide food service from five vendors, including Sbarro Pizzeria, Chik-fil-A, Zoca Southwestern Grill, Miso Noodle and Sushi Bar, and Bleeker Street Deli and Bistro.
Current food options are the Marketplace at Perry Hall, Burger King at Roberts Hall, State Fountain and Bakery, Chick-Fil-A, Pegasus Dining at the Wise Center, and Food for Thought-Einstein Bros.--all Aramark franchises.
Additionally, Aramark provides four convenience store locations in Ruby, Hurst, Building III, and Hathorn residence halls, where students may select from grab-and-go pre-made salads and sandwiches, plus fresh-rolled sushi.
"Our hope is that Colvard Student Union will be up and running by the time our students return to campus for the spring semester," Foglesong said.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.